By Chris Snellgrove | Updated
Supergirl will fly into theaters on June 26. The marketing campaign is in full swing, and for good reason: this isn't just another superhero movie from Warner Bros. This is the second feature film set in the DCU, a shared universe directed by studio head James Gunn. Last year, Gunn Superman became the biggest hit of the summer, beating out competition from rival Marvel's most anticipated movies, Thunder Lights again Fantastic Four: First Steps. Superman ultimately grossing $618.7 million, a healthy box office showing that seemingly hungry moviegoers were looking for a new cinematic superhero destination.
How hungry are they? SupergirlThe box office will decide that SupermanSuccess was a fluke even if the DCU has legs to go far. Unfortunately, it looks like the Woman of Steel is already dealing with a bad dose of Kryptonite before the start of her movie. Currently, the film is tracking to earn $55 million in its opening weekend. By comparison, Superman had an opening weekend of $125 millionn, and Supergirl's extremely low ratings may sink this film for its titular heroine before it's up, up and gone.
Krypto, Good; Kryptonite, Evil
With the film premiering in less than three weeks, that's possible Supergirl it will gain slightly more than analysts predicted. If the projections are accurate, however, a $55 million opening weekend could spell bad news for the upcoming film. Why is that? First, the film has a budget of $175 million. In accordance with Deadlinewhen looking at marketing costs, Supergirl he would need to make $315 million just to break even. A low opening weekend means it's going to be an uphill battle for the film to make a profit because, barring major upsets like Infatuationthe box office starts going down after the first week.
Those high marketing costs are often the kryptonite of superhero movies, even the most successful ones. For example, James Gunn Superman grossed $618.7 million, which is a healthy number in the golden age of extreme fatigue. But that film reportedly needed $562.5 million to break even, meaning the DCU's flagship film ultimately made a lot less profit than you might think (and likely lost money after the studio split the profits with theaters). Superman it was still a success when you look at video rentals, visual media sales, etc, but that success wouldn't have been possible without its $125 million opening weekend. Supergirl it needs the smallest box office to break even, but it's also expected to gain 56 percent Underneath than Superman when it starts.
The Eyes Have It
If Supergirl fails at the box office, it will be the fault of Warner Bros., who made a costly gamble on a character who isn't exactly a household name. However, this movie being defeated by Kryptonite does not mean the end of the DCU. Upcoming TV show Lightsfor example, it is already creating a buzz in this cinematic universe, and James Gunn is working hard The Man of Tomorrowthe sequence of Superman. If that movie succeeds, then the Man of Steel genre is solid, and Supergirl will fade into a supporting character. If i Superman The next bombs, however, can take the DCU as well.
In any case, none of this is set in stone. Supergirl it may make more money in its opening weekend than these early works indicate, and if at all goodthen it may earn enough in the following weeks to make a big profit for the studio. If nothing else, it will be fun to see Milly Alcock's irreverent hero headline a movie, as it will be fun to see Jason Momoa finally bring Lobo to the big screen. A beautiful woman who can kill with a glance, fighting alongside a genius who kills people the worst in Hell? With this combination, you know Supergirl will be anything else but it's boring!
