Early box office projections for James Gunn’s Superman are in, and the film is poised to have a higher opening weekend than Man of Steel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Superman is estimated to gross around $135 million domestically over its first three days when it premieres in July. That figure would be much higher than Man of Steel, which opened with $116 million domestically when it debuted back in June 2013. If Superman performs as well as tracking indicates, it would post the second-highest opening for a Superman film of all time. Only Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice earned more, with a $166 million start.
However, estimates are all over the place as Superman gears up for its release in a few weeks. THR notes that some data has set the film’s range at $125-145 million. Warner Bros. is said to have a far more conservative outlook, pegging Superman in the $90-125 million range. Others believe Superman could reach $175 million, which would be the biggest opening ever for a DC Comics adaptation.
As the first theatrical release in the new DC Universe franchise, Superman is one of the most important projects on Warner Bros.’ film slate this year. Earlier in the year, there were reports that the movie’s box office performance could decide not just the fate of the DCU, but WB as a whole. For his part, Gunn has downplayed the notion that Superman is under an inordinate amount of pressure, saying he will be happy as long as the film makes back its budget. The DC Studios co-head doesn’t believe Superman needs to break records to be successful.
Warner Bros. is very excited about Superman‘s prospects, putting together a sizable marketing campaign to generate hype. Ticket pre-sales for early access screenings were a massive hit on Fandango, illustrating that Superman is going to be a sizable box office draw amidst a very competitive July that also sees the premieres of Jurassic World Rebirth and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Gunn believes there’s plenty of space for this summer’s tentpoles to all coexist at the multiplex, and he could be right. Early tracking for Jurassic World Rebirth indicates that film will earn between $120-125 million domestically over its five-day opening during Fourth of July weekend. Though that would be the lowest debut for a Jurassic World film, it’s still a very healthy figure that sets Rebirth up for a fruitful run before Superman opens. With so many genre tentpoles premiering in such close proximity to each other, there might have been concern that at least one of the titles would draw the short straw and go down as a disappointment. However, it looks like moviegoers are saving up their money for “Super Fantastic World” next month. Hopefully, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has robust projections as well.
Superman‘s box office estimates will likely fluctuate over the next few weeks. Where things settle could depend on how word of mouth pans out. If Superman is well-received, it stands reason to believe it will be able to hit the high end of these projections, which would be a phenomenal start for the DCU. Gunn has big plans for the franchise’s future, including a possible Superman follow-up that isn’t a straight sequel. Kicking things off on the right foot with a strong Superman box office will go a long way in ensuring those projects see the light of day.
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