Photo Credit: DC Studios
DCU’s Supergirl has crash-landed at the box office. Early returns place Milly Alcock’s movie dangerously close to flop territory, with a global launch that puts its financial recovery in serious doubt.
Supergirl fails to fly at domestic and global box office
The Craig Gillespie-directed movie pulled in $38 million domestically over its opening weekend. Worldwide numbers landed at just $68 million, a number that raised alarms for a production carrying a net budget between $170 million and $186 million before factoring in massive global marketing spends. Saturday saw a 41% drop from Friday’s combined preview and opening day grosses, delivering only $10.7 million and signalling weak word-of-mouth traction.
Supergirl’s box office debut falls well below the lowest opening in Marvel Cinematic Universe history, The Marvels, which managed $46.1 million. It also sits uncomfortably close to one of DC’s biggest theatrical failures, Joker: Folie à Deux, which opened to $37.6 million per Deadline. Even Sony’s critically panned Morbius launched higher. For a film designed to expand the DCU after James Gunn’s Superman, the comparison is brutal. Gunn’s film soared to a $125 million domestic opening on its way to $618 million globally. Supergirl was expected to build on that momentum.
Furthermore, Alcock’s starrer failed to rank number one in any major territory. The United Kingdom led with $4.1 million, matching the low benchmark set by The Marvels. Mexico contributed $3.4 million, while Australia mustered only $2 million. China, a critical market for superhero fare, delivered a dismal $1 million, crushed by local competition. Across key markets like Brazil, Korea, Germany, and Indonesia, grosses consistently tracked below previous underperformers. (via Deadline)
Premium format screens provided the only bright spot for Supergirl’s box office. IMAX and other PLF venues contributed 51% of the domestic gross, with IMAX alone generating $7.4 million.
The road to profitability now appears steep. Reports indicate Warner Bros. needs the film to hit roughly $300 million worldwide to break even, while earlier projections from Deadline placed the required gross closer to $315 million. With a 56% Rotten Tomatoes score and mixed audience reception, legs will be difficult to find.
