'Superman' director says 'anti-American sentiment' hurting some international box office numbers
Though "Superman" had the third-highest opening weekend in the U.S. for 2025 at $125 million, the film only grossed about $95 million internationally over the same weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.
Gunn acknowledged that the film is "definitely performing better domestically," but argued that there were additional factors that led to it underperforming in some countries, such as Superman's status as an American figure.
"Superman is not a known commodity in some places," Gunn told Rolling Stone Magazine. "He is not a big known superhero in some places like Batman is. That affects things. And it also affects things that we have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn't really helping us."
Gunn added that the film opened well in Brazil and the U.K., with rising numbers in other countries due to positive word of mouth.
Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment on the matter when asked by Fox News Digital.
Gunn originally faced backlash for his film just days before its release after saying that the movie would be "about politics" and how the "Superman" story is about immigration.
"Superman is the story of America," Gunn told The Sunday Times earlier this month. "An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me, it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost."
Gunn was later asked about the "SuperWoke" backlash by Entertainment Weekly on Friday.
"I've heard people say it was woke, and then I've heard a lot of people say it's not," Gunn said. "I am curious as to what in the movie is considered woke."
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Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chris Paul glad to be back home in L.A. with his family and the Clippers
Before Chris Paul's voice echoed through the room, his reasons for returning home were staring at him. His three children, perched quietly next to their mom, Jada Crawley, watched as Paul talked about why he decided to return to the Clippers. Paul's mother sat in the second row of the news conference with a beaming smile. Chris Paul was back home. 'It was a no-brainer. The easiest decision in this is sitting right up here,' Paul said, gesturing to his family in the front three rows. 'Right here, it's my family.' When Paul was first introduced as a Clipper in December 2011, he spoke of measuring up against 'big brother' Chauncey Billups and soaring alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan — a core that would lob their way into Clippers lore. Paul's first message to L.A. were three constants — the allure of the city, the talent beside him and a title that still eluded them. On Monday, Paul traded the sharp lines of his 2011 debut suit and red silk tie for something looser — flowing black slacks, red Nike Air Jordan 1s and a flash of gold on his wrist. And 14 years after his L.A. premiere, he spoke of sharing the court with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. But this time, the Clippers star-studded lineup wasn't what lit his path home. 'If I'm really honest, I wanted to get back and play here by any means necessary,' Paul said. 'I didn't even care what the team looked like. I just wanted to be home, be here with the Clippers.' Gratitude washed over Paul's words — for his year in San Antonio, for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, for Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and for a 21st season. But anchoring it all was his family. Paul is no longer thinking about playing in another city away from his family. The tearful send-offs are behind him. His mornings now begin with sunrise workouts with his son. He winds down in the evenings talking to his daughter. 'To tell you the truth, my wife and my kids probably [are] tired of me already,' Paul said, his wife laughing. 'Because ever since I got the news, every time we home, I'm just jumping around talking about, 'I'm home, I'm home, I'm home.'' As familiar as he is with the Clippers, Paul said his return still felt surreal — the No. 3 stitched onto a Clippers jersey, his name gleaming above the locker and a 'Welcome Back' message circling the halo board. What makes it even sweeter? A brand new stage. The last time Paul played for the Clippers, they played at Staples Center (now Arena). On Monday, he got an up-close look at the Intuit Dome. 'Walking around now, it's a total different feeling,' Paul said. 'Last time I walked through here, I was just sort of peeking because I didn't know if a guy on the current team was here and they [were] like, 'What the hell are you doing here?'' Paul noted the franchise's makeover — new colors, new logo — but one thing, he said, hadn't budged: the fans. One corner of Arena still lives staunchly in Paul's memory. Section 114 housed the pockets of Clippers die-hards he'd glance at after every dagger three or rim-rattling "Lob City" spectacle. Some fans, Paul said, even pledged loyalty in ink. Back then, some made a pact that if the Clippers scored 114 points in a game, they'd get a '114' tattoo. When the team delivered, so did they. 'The fans here are like none other,' Paul said. 'They are really fans of the game. … The team and everybody, they deserve good things and deserve to see this team win.' Read more: Chris Paul is a 'natural fit' for Clippers as reserve point guard Paul got a full dose of nostalgia a short time later when dozens of Clippers fans gave him a standing ovation, chanting, 'CP3!' He sank into his seat, shoulders folding inward as he clasped his hands — emotion creeping in as the cheers grew louder. 'This is crazy,' he said. So as Paul rose from the podium and thanked the media, his mother held her gaze, her smile still stitched in place. For eight years, she'd grown used to goodbyes. But this time, there would be no parting hug. 'This is one of those things I kind of manifested for a long time, sort of tried to speak it into existence,' Paul said. 'Because I love to hoop, I love to play this game, but I love my family more than any of it.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
People Are Slamming The Worst Weddings They've Ever Attended, And Woooooooof
Reddit user Fantastic_Series_599 asked community members to share what happened at the worst wedding they've ever been to. BuzzFeed Community members also chimed in with their stories of weddings gone awry. Here's what people revealed: 1."The meal was given depending on whether you were on the bride's or groom's side, and there was a big difference. The bride and groom's parents had very different financial statuses, and they each provided for their guests based on that. We had hand stamps." —u/Pistalrose 2."I went to a wedding where the bride insisted on traveling by horse and carriage to the reception. It took ages since the venue was a few miles from the church. Everyone was just standing around waiting for the bride and groom to show up. When they eventually turned up, the bride insisted that she and her new husband go to their hotel room to consummate the marriage (she was desperate to get pregnant). So, there was even more standing around until they showed up. It was all really, really cringey." —u/IAmDyspeptic 3."I was at a wedding where the minister had just gotten a the theme of his sermon was about how common divorce is. It was like he had completely forgotten it was a wedding ceremony. Extremely uncomfortable for everyone, but especially the poor bride and groom!" —apromisingyoungwoman 4."There were 250 people bussed out to a wedding barn. There were beautiful decorations, an open bar, and lots of dancing. The bathrooms didn't work, so we all had to pee outside. The biggest issue was that it was pouring rain. The water was not draining anywhere, so when you had to pee, you got mud all over your fancy heels, making it obvious that you peed in a bush a few feet from the door. If you went further away, you would sink into the mud mid-calf. Buses didn't return until 11:00 p.m. after five hours of open bar!" —u/comomathome 5."The bride had an audible, profanity-laden, and very loud meltdown in the church entryway that reverberated around the congregation because her grandmother had not adhered to her preferred color theme. She wanted everyone in black and white so her dress would stand out. Apparently, the tiny lady who loved her 'RUINED EVERYTHING' because of her duck egg blue hat. It was unreal." —u/ClareSwinn 6."The bride wanted her cat at the wedding, and the groom and his best man brought the uncaged cat to the car and went through the car wash right before the wedding. The cat freaked and scratched up the groom's face and peed all over the best man's tux an hour before the wedding." —u/Intrepid-Fox-7231 7."I've attended about 25 weddings in the last 10 years and been a maid of honor in six. I'm wedding'd OUT! But the absolute worst one I attended was on a hot July evening, outdoors, in Texas. Gnats and mosquitoes were EVERYWHERE. You simply could not get rid of them. The bride grabbed a mic and sang LOUDLY to her groom as she walked down the aisle — probably 10 minutes in total. The ceremony was extremely long, and the food had legitimately been out for hours by the time we got to the reception area. It was cold and had been swarming with flies, even inside. The building was so small and there were so many people that once you got seated at a table, there was genuinely NO room to move. I'm not kidding. I've always been little and couldn't even get through the tables to use the bathroom." "Once we got food and sat down (for the long haul, since it was impossible to get up again), they played music SO LOUDLY that you couldn't even hear yourself talk. Then there were traditional dances with cultural music. To clarify, I have no problems with having cultural things at your wedding! You SHOULD! But the combination of everything was truly unbearable and unkind to guests. We left about six and a half hours after arriving. We couldn't break away sooner, unfortunately." —jcismybestfriend 8."I attended a family wedding where the groom told his mother-in-law about an hour before the ceremony that he didn't like her. There were a lot of tears, but the bride married him anyway. After the reception, he got drunk and tossed his wedding ring into a field, and a wedding guest found it the next morning. Somehow, they are still married, but I don't have a lot of hope for their future." —u/iamgotch 9."About 15 years ago, I attended a small wedding as the maid of honor's date in Las Vegas. Almost immediately after the ceremony, the newlyweds argued about something (I have no idea what), and the bride and groom ran off in separate directions. My then-girlfriend went to chase after the bride, and everyone else chased after the groom. Within less than a minute, everyone was gone, and I had no service on my phone, so I hung out in the casino alone for about two hours until everyone returned and acted like nothing strange had happened. That couple split after about a year and a half." —u/BobVilasBeard 10."The worst wedding I attended featured a best man's speech that was so inappropriate and offensive that it shocked everyone. He shared embarrassing stories about the groom (mentions of sex workers, his ex-girlfriends, and a lot of other weird sex-related stuff), made tasteless jokes about the bride (fat-shaming a woman who was pregnant), and used offensive language. The atmosphere went from festive to tense, with guests visibly uncomfortable and some even walking out. The bride and groom were mortified, and what should have been a joyful celebration turned into an awkward and upsetting experience for everyone involved." —u/Current_Towel2873 11."At the reception, I was sitting at a table with strangers. Turns out the bride's ex was sitting with us. I know this because he told me so before he projectile vomited onto the table, hitting my date in the face. We laugh about it now." —u/ExPristina 12."The unity candle started a fire in the church. They were able to put it out before it got too bad, but that was definitely interesting." —u/danaredding 13."At the reception, the bride's father got angry because he felt the band was playing too loud while he was trying to converse with the guests. So, he sent the band home. They literally stopped playing mid-song (KC and The Sunshine Band's 'Celebrate') and started packing up." —u/ArkayLeigh 14."There was a four-hour gap between the wedding and reception, with no food or drinks of any kind provided. We weren't aware of this gap, as the invitation said, 'Reception to follow.' While we left and got Burger King, others couldn't, so they were starving. Then, when dinner finally rolled around, everyone got undercooked/raw chicken. Also, the DJ only played one-minute iTunes previews of songs mixed with Disney songs." —u/gertrudeblythe 15."The groom got into a fistfight with one of the bartenders, and one of the guests got so drunk that the EMTs were called. The police car that carried the groom away was closely followed by the ambulance. I actually consider it one of the best weddings I've been to, at least in terms of being memorable, but the bridal couple (who are still married 20+ years later) may disagree." —u/madcats323 16."Bridezilla from hell was mad if anyone didn't come to her wedding events or make her feel like she was the queen of all brides. Everything had to be perfect. She had a destination wedding and a huge at-home after-party that she spent yelling at everyone. 'Turn the music up louder!' 'It's time for this! It's time for that!' 'Look at me!' They are divorced." —rachway 17."The bride forgot to bring the groom's suit, so he wore the pastor's jacket and tie for the ceremony. The pastor was an Evangelical Christian and said some very sexist things off-script. Mind you, part of the ceremony involved a few very PAGAN practices. In her speech, the grandmother went off the rails and talked about ancient aliens. Then, when she got back on track with her speech, she talked about, 'How could a man love a woman as she ages? What about when her breasts sag? Or when her bottom becomes flat? When she has wrinkles under her eyes and her hair is thin?' and went on about how much of a sacrifice the man makes when he marries a woman. A sister ranted about Covid being a scam." "There was an EXTREMELY sexist skit with the brothers of the bride demanding payment for her because 'Who will clean our house? Cook our food? Mend our clothes?' and the groom had to buy her with beer. The mother was upset that her goats couldn't be the ring bearers at the venue. This wedding was in LA about a month ago." —u/TheDirtSyndicate 18."The couple never showed up. Lol. We were all left in confusion after hours of waiting." —u/Head-Queeen 19."I went to what I can only describe as a redneck wedding a few years ago. The groom was 24, and his bride-to-be was about 42 with two kids over 18. So, it was a weird dynamic to begin with. The ceremony was at a public park under a gazebo. The groom's parents were visibly not down with the wedding. It was hot as hell, and there was enough food for maybe 30% of the guests. We were told the reception was at the local Elks Lodge, which, while not very extravagant, at least had a bar and reception hall. Those were not rented out, however. They just had the pool. So you had the usual very old, very intoxicated clientele of a rural Elk's Lodge who were doing their thing, and then four people (bride, groom, and two of their friends) down in the pool, all passing around a bottle of Jack. I left immediately, and they got divorced six months later." —u/atlsportsburner 20."The bride and groom were both barely 19 years old! I went to their reception at a nice venue. Inside, there were round tables, and only half had tablecloths. The decorations were almost nonexistent. People came in, put their gifts on a table, and got in line for food (which was water with no lemon and store-bought cookies). That's it! The bride's father was the DJ and did an AWFUL job! The entertainment was the bride and groom sitting on chairs back to back holding up their shoes, answering questions, and the bride's five aunts singing ABBA (I'm not kidding)! They did cut the cake, but there wasn't any to serve! They had dancing and that was it! It was like being at the worst high school dance ever! We finally left and went to Red Robin nearby because my mother is diabetic!" —youngsquid41 21."I went to a wedding where the family made the cake. No big deal. However, it also tasted like cigarettes." —sassypete77 22."It was at a Mormon church, and for some reason, Mormon churches have indoor basketball courts in them. Half of the court was a wedding reception, and the other half was a pickup basketball game played by strangers who wouldn't leave. The ball hit the food table a couple of times." —u/TheThalmorEmbassy 23."I went to a dry wedding. That's not just a description of the drink situation but the entire affair in general. It was in a tent, in summer, in the south. The dress code specified that men had to wear jackets during the ceremony. Women couldn't have 'overly exposed' shoulders or low cuts. Linen was not allowed. The ceremony took about two hours and included multiple speeches by the bride, groom, and the minister. Both fathers sang gospels. The best man played acoustic guitar for about 10 minutes. The guests had to reconfigure the tent after the ceremony for the reception while the wedding party took photos. We found out there were assigned seats when the wedding planner went table to table and called out who was to sit where. We would be released to the buffet by the bride/groom, table by table. They stopped to chat at every table, take pics, etc." "There was no dancing. The location was by a lake with a dock and patio area down by the water. We were to stay in the tent. More speeches were given. The bride and groom paused, releasing people to eat for each speech. The sweet tea was weak. The bride's father gave a long speech in which he only mentioned his daughter twice, and both times were about giving his son-in-law healthy baby boys. The best man played guitar again. The cake was in the sun. The buffet had dry BBQ that the groom and his new father-in-law had smoked the day before. All brisket. The sides were just mac 'n' cheese and salad. I left between when my table got released for food and the cake cutting, partially because I was starving, partially because I had 100% sweat through my entire suit, and partially because I'd arrived six hours ago. My +1 (a family friend) and I went with my mom to an Applebee's or something nearby. At least a dozen of the tables had other guests we recognized. I swear I saw a woman cry when they brought her a margarita. We heard that the reception continued late into the evening, including the bride and groom asking the (remaining) guests to all share a memory they had with them. They spelled my name wrong on the thank you card." —u/NoahtheRed 24."The maid of honor gave a truly atrocious 25-minute-long speech before dinner. She was obviously super drunk and was rambling so badly. She used the speech to talk about her own mental health journey at one point, and THEN she finished the speech by inviting her husband on stage with her (he seemed like a total douche, too, by the way) and said: 'For those of you who don't know, today is actually our anniversary!' Then they both started making an awful and way-too-long speech all about themselves. It killed the vibe of the entire wedding." —u/Zestyclose_Airline_6 25."My wife and I got dragged to her friend's mother's wedding. I think it was her third marriage. Other than it being super awkward, it went off without a hitch. It was awkward because the son of the bride was involved in the murder of the groom's nephew. He went with some friends to buy drugs, but it turned out they didn't have any intention of paying for them. The bride's son was at the wedding. He was charged with murder and pleaded down to something that got him multiple years probation." —u/my_sexy_fantasiez 26."The entire wedding was extremely dysfunctional and seemed like it hadn't been thought through at all. At one point during the ceremony, someone's phone rang very loudly, which was shocking enough by itself, but you should've seen everyone's face when he answered, 'Hello?!' and quite literally continued to have a conversation." —u/Acrobatic-Midnight28 27."We were invited to the reception but not the ceremony. When we arrived, it was as if the reception had already been happening for a few hours. The bride seemed surprised we were there. We grabbed our gift off the table and left." —u/PrivateTumbleweed 28."I attended a wedding where the bride's ex showed up uninvited and caused a scene during the ceremony. He argued with guests, tried to talk to the bride during her vows, and eventually had to be escorted out by security. It was incredibly awkward and disrupted what should have been a joyful day. Definitely a wedding I'll never forget!" —u/FitFataleUSA1 29."The groom walked down the aisle visibly drunk, and the reception had to start late so he could finish throwing up." —u/via_cee 30."I was at a wedding where the pastor didn't remember to tell people to sit. We stood through the entire wedding ceremony. It was so irritating. I couldn't see a thing." —happy30 31."I went to one where the ceremony was in a rural tiny church with no AC in mid-July, and they did a full ceremony with kids screaming throughout. The reception was at a falling-down VFW hall with no decorations and half the lights out. They only got a keg, and it ran out before dinner. They ran out of food before everyone was served. The DJ was trying to use Spotify, and there was no Internet connection, so we'd get a few minutes of music and then it would cut out again (which happened multiple times during their first dance). Yikes." —lizmarie123 32."It was a wedding where the bride and groom lived far away from their families, and everyone (including me) had to fly in. The mother-in-law wasn't too happy with her son marrying the bride. The wedding went pretty well, and the reception was going okay, but the MIL had a stank face and was audibly complaining. Then, during speeches, the bride and groom thanked people who helped with the setup, decorations, etc. The MIL was mad that she wasn't thanked for some reason. She ended up causing a major scene where she physically attacked her son while screaming at the bride and groom. Her entire side of the family left the wedding reception, which was half of the people there. Overall, the people who were left made the most of it, but the bride and groom were visibly shaken and left shortly after. They ended up getting a divorce a few years later." —u/Silent_Beautiful_738 33."The cocktail hour lasted almost three hours, with the only snacks being oysters, so most people were hammered and starving at the end of those three hours. No big deal. Then, after we were seated for dinner, every table took turns going up and serving themselves buffet style. By the time it was our table's turn, all the dinner was gone from the serving trays. Three or four tables were left with nothing. It was so awkward, and we were so damn hungry. The wedding was on this little island in Washington that we were shuttled onto, so there wasn't any way we could leave to get our own food. The caterers went to a restaurant in town and brought in pasta dishes about two hours later, but it was too late by then." —u/Gooseygoo242 34."This was in the early 2000s. The attendants were responsible for the buffet meal, refilling serving platters, selling drinks at the bar, etc. The food was all straight out of cans and grocery store containers — totally budget-friendly. No problem, just not typical. Then, the bride and groom had a dollar dance and made a big deal by shaking people down for $20s and no smaller bills. Before the dancing was allowed to start, the attendants were all sent among the guests to sell 50-50 tickets to benefit the bride and groom. The winner of the 50-50 was pressured into donating their half (over $2,000) back to the newlyweds. So, there was a full-on fundraiser vibe all afternoon and evening. The bridal party took turns playing music from their phones since the couple wouldn't pay for a DJ. The couple divorced within nine months." —u/twink1813 35."Southern Indiana. Church wedding. VFW hall for reception. More than half the people showed up in sweats and jeans, except for our friends from the big city and the bridal party. The food was cafeteria-style and served by women wearing plastic gloves. The pony keg went dry after an hour. It's a dry county on Sundays, so we had to drive one county over to restock for everyone. It was the worst wedding I've ever been to, and I've been to one where the bride and groom parachuted down from an airplane to the reception." —jjgirly "It was in the middle of nowhere, held at a 'country club,' which I don't think had ever hosted an event of any kind. There was one motel in the town, and no rooms were left. So we planned to drive for four hours, see the wedding, and leave when they got to the part of the reception where the dancing and partying had started. We arrived and went in, and there was hardly anyone there. We went to where they were having the ceremony in some courtyard, and the chairs were all blowing away. There were some staff trying to chase them down. There must have been a couple of hundred chairs, and there couldn't have been more than 20 or 30 of us. I kept thinking, 'Who rented all those rooms?'" "We sat and were almost amused in a horrified kind of way. But no one else showed up, and the start time came and went uncomfortably without anyone but the few guests showing up. Turns out there was no wedding. Someone cheated on someone the night before, and there was a big fight that morning. I never really learned the details. Someone from the venue finally came out and said sorry super awkwardly and that we should go home because the entire thing was being canceled." —u/Billbapaparazzi What's the wildest or worst wedding you've ever attended? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
12 minutes ago
- Forbes
Barocio Listens To Lovesick Blues And Wins The Bing Crosby Stakes
Trainer Librado Barocio has a moment with Lovesick Blues after their victory in the Grade I $400,000 ... More Bing Crosby Stakes Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar, CA. Benoit Photo Never underscore the importance of the player-coach relationship. Communication is always a key, but the important thing is that both are driving on a two-way street. Yes, the final decision should always belong to the person with the line-up card, however input from the one in the trenches should never be discounted. With that in mind, there is one Thoroughbred trainer that is ecstatic since one of his stable stars bent his ear. Librado Barocio is becoming a fixture on the California Thoroughbred racing scene. Having been in and out of the sport since taking out his training license in 1998, this Richmond, California native has enjoyed success primarily with California-bred horses running in the older division races. Having picked up his first graded stakes wins just last year, Barocio has enjoyed increased success since the calendar turned to 2025. As a student of the game, this conditioner that doubles as a film maker saw an opportunity with one of his hot horses and decided to take a swing in the grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 26. Lovesick Blues is a seven-year-old son of Grazen that has become increasingly better with age. Always a hard-running horse, his forty career starts had yielded only eight wins but twenty six finishes in the top three. His last five starts had come on turf and that left many wondering why this veteran gladiator was willing to face the fastball that is a grade 1, Breeders' Cup win and you're in, six-furlong drive over the Del Mar dirt. Once the nine runners loaded and the gates opened, everyone else knew in just over one minute and eight seconds what Barocio had already heard in the days leading up to the race. 'He had been telling me he wanted to go back to the dirt', says Barocio. 'All his training said he was ready and deserved this kind of opportunity. He always runs hard and just has a heart of gold. His works were crying out for a start in a race like this and I am glad I listened.' Mia Familia 's Lovesick Blues a jockey Geovanni Franco win the Grade I $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes ... More Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar, CA. Benoit Photo Breaking alertly, Lovesick Blues rolled up the backstretch rating off a very solid early pace (21.78 opening quarter mile, 44.48 half mile). As the runners turned for home, the front-running Hejazi spurted clear. Getting the cue from his regular rider, Geovanni Franco, this California-bred swung outside and began an all-out assault on the front-runners. Moving with tremendous momentum, Lovesick Blues broke some hearts as he rolled past Hejazi inside the final furlong and won by a widening 1 ¾ lengths. 'This horse truly has been a blessing for our barn', says Barocio, who earned his first grade 1 victory as a trainer. 'He is proven on the grass and dirt. His versatility is amazing and he can win being out front or closing in as he did here. The Grazen offsprings seem to get better with age and he absolutely has improved as he has gotten older.' Crossing the finish line at odds of 18-1, this seven-year-old gelding shook up the world in more ways than one. Yes, he rewarded his backers with a nice return, but also sent his conditioner into deep thought as now he has his first grade 1 winner and a spot for his ever Breeders' Cup starter in the 2025 Sprint, which will be run at Del Mar on November 1. 'We are likely to run him one more time before the Breeders' Cup', says Barocio. 'I will consult with a few veterans of the game before deciding exactly what our path will be. I listened to what my horse was telling me and I will continue to listen and look for wisdom as we prepare for the World Championships of Thoroughbred racing. Wow, t
