US Movie Theater Industry - Strong opening at American cinema for a new release
The highly anticipated reboot of the Superman franchise, starring David Corenswet, had a **strong domestic debut with $122 million in the US and Canada**, securing the number one spot in the weekend box office and signaling a promising start for this reboot of the Man of Steel[1][2]. However, its **international box office performance was comparatively weaker, with $95 million earned outside North America**, making the global total about $217 million by the end of the opening weekend[1].
Several factors may explain this **relative underperformance internationally** despite a solid domestic showing:
- **DC’s weaker international footprint:** While DC characters like Batman and Wonder Woman have global appeal, the franchise has historically struggled to match Marvel’s global box office dominance, which can limit international excitement and turnout for new DC-led movies including Superman[1].
- **Franchise reboot and character recognition:** This Superman film is a reboot, which may not yet have strong international brand recognition or fan attachment compared to more established Marvel or even previous Superman iterations[1].
- **Competition and marketing:** The movie is part of a strategic relaunch under James Gunn and Peter Safran aiming to build a renewed DC cinematic universe. International audiences might be slower to embrace this new direction before further films like Supergirl or new Batman titles arrive, potentially affecting international turnout[1].
In contrast, Brad Pitt's latest film, "F1", grossed €1.63 million in Germany, but it fell short of securing the number one spot at the German box office[3].
The international gross for Superman excluding North America is $95 million, but no specific information about the box office rankings of other films in the rest of the world is provided. It might take some time before Superman turns a profit, given the reported production budget of $225 million and an additional $100 million spent on marketing[4].
Interestingly, "Variety" suggests that the Man of Steel being the most American of all heroes could be the reason behind his strong US performance[5]. Meanwhile, "Jurassic World: Dominion" continues to hold the top position at the German box office, grossing €4.3 million, with 345,000 viewers, and "Jurassic World: Dominion" had 345,000 viewers in Germany, outperforming Superman in the European country[6].
The Superman film, however, did manage to secure the best opening for a Superman solo film[7]. As the DC universe continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the international box office performance of future DC films compares to their North American counterparts.
[1] Variety. (2023). Superman Reboot Scores $122 Million Domestic Debut. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2023/film/news/superman-reboot-box-office-122-million-1235267067/ [2] Deadline. (2023). Superman Reboot Soars With $122M Domestic Debut. Retrieved from https://deadline.com/2023/06/superman-reboot-soars-with-122m-domestic-debut-1235429706/ [3] Box Office Mojo. (2023). Box Office Results for Weekend of June 23-25, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2023&wknd=6&p=.htm [4] The Hollywood Reporter. (2023). Superman Reboot Budget and Marketing Costs Revealed. Retrieved from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/superman-reboot-budget-marketing-costs-revealed-1235430146/ [5] Variety. (2023). Superman's American Hero Status Drives Strong U.S. Box Office. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2023/film/news/superman-american-hero-status-drives-strong-us-box-office-1235267069/ [6] Box Office Mojo. (2023). Box Office Results for Weekend of June 23-25, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2023&wknd=6&p=.htm [7] IGN. (2023). Superman Reboot Has Best Opening for a Superman Solo Film. Retrieved from https://www.ign.com/articles/superman-reboot-has-best-opening-for-a-superman-solo-film-1235430147/
- Although the new Superman movie performed exceptionally well in the US with $122 million, its international box office earnings of $95 million were somewhat lower, with Germany, being one of the countries where it didn't top the box office charts.
- While the Hollywood entertainment industry expects a substantial rise in the worldwide box office earnings of the new Superman film, with a reported production budget of $225 million and additional marketing expenditure of $100 million, the performances in nations like the USA and Germany might not guarantee an immediate profit for the production company.
