‘Superman' flexes its might in second weekend with $57.3 million

The Hindu

3 days ago

James Gunn's Supermanshowed staying power in its second weekend at North American box offices, collecting $57.3 million in ticket sales and remaining the No. 1 movie in cinemas, according to studio estimates Sunday.
None of the week's new releases — I Know What You Did Last Summer, Smurfs, and Eddington — came close to touching Warner Bros. and DC Studios' superhero success. Superman dipped 54% from its domestic opening, an average decline for a big summer film.
In two weeks, Superman has grossed $406.8 million worldwide, a good start for the movie DC Studios is banking on to restart its movie operations. A big test looms next weekend, when the Walt Disney Co. releases Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Strong audience scores and good reviews should help propel the $225 million-budgeted Superman toward profitability in the coming weeks. For Warner Bros. and DC Studios, Superman is key to kicking off a 10-year plan for the comic book adaptation studio. Co-heads Gunn and Peter Safra were tasked with rehabilitating the flagging operation. Next on tap are the films Supergirland Clayfacein 2026.
But Superman is far from flying solo in theatres right now. Universal Pictures' Jurassic World: Rebirth came in second this weekend, with $23.4 million in its third week of release. The seventh Jurassic movie, this one starring Scarlett Johansson, held its own despite the competition from Superman. In three weeks, it accrued $648 million worldwide.
Apple Studios and Warner Bros.' F1: The Movie has also shown legs, especially internationally. In its fourth weekend, the Brad Pitt racing drama dipped just 26% domestically, bringing in $9.6 million in North America and another $29.5 million overseas. Its global total stands at $460.8 million.
But both of the biggest new releases — Sony Pictures' I Know What You Did Last Summer and Paramount Pictures' Smurfs — fell flat.
I Know What You Did Last Summer opened with $13 million, a fair result for a movie budgeted at a modest $18 million, but a disappointing opening for a well-known horror franchise. The film, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is set 27 years after the 1997 original. Teenagers played by Madelyn Cline and Chase Sui Wonders are again haunted for covering up a car accident.
The movie's reviews (38% 'fresh' on Rotten Tomatoes) were poor for I Know What You Did Last Summer, and audiences graded it similarly. The film notched a 'C+' on CinemaScore. The original collected $72.6 million in its domestic run in 1997.
Paramount Pictures' Smurfs debuted in fourth place this weekend with $11 million. The latest big-screen reboot for the woodland blue creatures prominently features Rihanna as the voice of Smurfette. But reviews (21% 'fresh' on Rotten Tomatoes) were terrible. Audiences were kinder, giving it a 'B+' on CinemaScore, but the $58 million-budgeted release will depend largely on its international sales. In 56 overseas markets, Smurfs earned $22.6 million.
Ari Aster's Eddington opened with $4.2 million on 2,111 screens for A24. Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Eddington has been particularly divisive. The pandemic-set Western features Joaquin Phoenix as the right-wing sheriff of a small New Mexico town who faces off with its liberal mayor (Pedro Pascal).
While Aster's first film, 2018's Hereditary ($82.8 million worldwide against a $10 million budget), helped establish A24 as an indie powerhouse, the less-than-stellar launch of Eddington marks the second box-office disappointment for Aster. His 2023 film Beau Is Afraid cost $35 million to make but collected just $12.4 million worldwide. Eddington cost about $25 million to produce. Audiences gave it a 'C+' on CinemaScore. None of Aster's previous films have been graded higher.
Yet collectively, Hollywood is enjoying a very good summer. According to data firm Comscore, the 2025 summer box office is up 15.9% over the same period last year, with the year-to-date sales running 15% ahead of 2025. Summer ticket sales have amassed about $2.6 billion domestically, according to Comscore.
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. Superman, $57.3 million.
2. Jurassic World Rebirth, $23.4 million.
3. I Know What You Did Last Summer, $13 million.
4. Smurfs, $11 million.
5. F1: The Movie, $9.6 million.
6. How to Train Your Dragon, $5.4 million.
7. Eddington, $4.3 million.
8. Elio, $2 million.
9. Lilo & Stitch, $1.5 million.
10. 28 Years Later, $1.3 million.