The box office is going up, up and away once again with “Supergirl,” DC Studios’ follow-up to last year’s “Superman,” opening in theaters this weekend. The Warner Bros. film, starring “House of the Dragon’s” Milly Alcock as Superman’s cousin, made $7.8 million in previews at the box office. It earned $13 million globally.
“Supergirl” is projected to make between $47 million and $50 million this weekend, but it’ll be no match for last weekend’s box office champion, Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5.” The animated sequel is estimated to make $80 million to $90 million in its second week. “Supergirl” has a $170 million price tag, plus worldwide marketing costs. Reviews have been rough for the superhero movie, so it will need to become a hit with audiences to justify its hefty budget. It’s also a test of James Gunn’s stewardship of the DC universe. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” director was hired by Warners in 2022 to help the studio stabilize its superhero movies. He’s had hits like “Superman” and “Peacemaker,” but Gunn and his partner Peter Safran must also contend with the fact that after dominating the box office for nearly two decades, the popularity of comic book movies appears to be fading. Even Marvel has struggled with recent efforts like “Thunderbolts*” and “Captain America: Brave New World” falling flat. Next up for DC is the body horror picture “Clayface,” which has earned positive buzz online, as well as “Man of Tomorrow,” a sequel to “Superman” that will feature Alcock as well.
Alcock stars in “Supergirl” as Kara Zor-El, a long lost relative of David Corenswet’s Superman from last year’s tentpole film (where she appeared in a cameo). While she’s off partying in outer space, Kara helps a young girl hunt down an evil mercenary named Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), who murdered her family. Along the way, they must also save Kara’s dog Krypto and they run into the galactic bounty hunter named Lobo (played by “Aquaman” star Jason Momoa). Craig Gillespie (“I, Tonya,” “Cruella”) directs the film. “Superman,” which featured a much better known hero, earned $22 million in previews when it opened last year. It went on to gross $125 million in its initial weekend of release before ultimately earning $618.7 million globally.
Also opening this weekend is Paramount’s “Jackass: Best and Last,” which is the final, painful outing for Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the “Jackass” gang. After earning $1.2 million in Thursday previews, the rowdy comedy is projected to open with $10 million to $12 million this weekend for a third place finish. That would mark the franchise’s lowest opening, but the stunt-filled movie only cost $10 million to produce, so it doesn’t have to earn a lot to turn a profit.
In milestone news, Disney became the first studio this year to top $3 billion in ticket sales. The company has fielded hits like “Toy Story 5” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” as well as misses like “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
