🦸‍♀️ Supergirl Stumbles at the International Box Office

The film also turned in an underwhelming performance in its domestic market (North America), generating $38 million. Consequently, its cumulative worldwide opening weekend total reached just $68 million. The primary concern for the studio is that the production budget for this intergalactic adventure ballooned to $170 million, a figure that excludes substantial global marketing expenses.

Compounding the issue are polarized critical reviews and a muted reception from general audiences, which severely dampens the film’s prospects for long-term box office endurance:

• Its rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has stalled at a disappointing 56%.
• Audiences polled by CinemaScore on opening night gave the feature a chilly “B-” grade.

Among international territories, the top-performing markets—though far from record-setting—were the United Kingdom ($4.1 million), Mexico ($3.4 million), and Australia ($2 million). The film is slated to debut in Japan and Belgium at a later date.

Supergirl was envisioned to build upon the commercial success of James Gunn’s Superman last year, which grossed $618 million worldwide and successfully relaunched the franchise under the new DC Studios leadership. The current performance of the Man of Steel’s cousin underscores the immense challenges of constructing interconnected cinematic universes in today’s theatrical marketplace.

Supergirl was not the only new release of the week that failed to take flight. Paramount’s irreverent comedy Jackass: Best and Last plummeted during its launch, scraping together just $1.9 million across 19 markets, which represent roughly 70% of its planned international footprint. However, because this fifth and final installment of the franchise starring Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O carried a modest $10 million production price tag, it will not require astronomical grosses to achieve profitability.

While the new entries fought for survival, Disney and Pixar’s animated feature Toy Story 5 effortlessly maintained its dominance on the international stage. The fifth iteration of the franchise locked in $89.1 million over the weekend across 49 markets, demonstrating an exceptionally strong hold with a mere 36% week-over-week decline.

In just 12 days of release, Toy Story 5 has amassed $287 million internationally and $585 million globally. The project remains firmly on track to eclipse the lifetime gross of the fourth installment ($1.07 billion) and emerge as the highest-grossing film in the history of the franchise.