Rachel Brosnahan and David Corenswet in “Superman.”
Box office projections for James Gunn’s Superman have inevitably dropped this weekend after its big opening, but will David Corenswet’s Man of Steel movie make enough to maintain a decent cruising altitude?
After last weekend’s final domestic box office tally was released on Monday, it was revealed that Superman officially earned $125 million from 4,135 theaters, which included $22.5 million in Thursday previews. The big question going into its second weekend is how much momentum the film can maintain against three new high-profile newcomers: Sony Pictures Entertainment’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, Paramount Pictures’ Smurfs and A24’s Eddington.
As of Wednesday, Superman is projected by Deadline to make $60 million from this Friday to Sunday, which is about a 52% drop in business from July 11-13. Box Office Pro is being more conservative with its second weekend projection for the film with a Friday to Sunday forecast of $45 million to $55 million, while Variety projects the film will make anywhere between $55 million to $62 million.
Even at the low end of the trio of estimates, Superman will earn more than enough to maintain the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office.
To date, the first film from Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe at Warner Bros. has made $155 million domestically and $159.4 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $314.4 million.
Superman had a $225 million production budget and spent $125 million on marketing, Variety reported.
David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in “Superman.”
‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Is Projected To Open Best Among The New Films In Theaters
The reboot of the 1997 slasher hit I Know What You Did Last Summer — featuring the return of the original film’s stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt— is projected by Deadline to earn anywhere from $13 million to $17 million from 3,100 North American theaters.
Variety projects $15 million to $17 million opening for the film, while Box Office Pro is casting a wider net with an opening projection of anywhere between $12 million to $18 million.
Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, I Know What You Did Last Summer had an $18 million production budget before prints and advertising costs.
Paramount Pictures’ animated feature Smurfs is projected by Variety to open with anywhere from $10 million to $12 million in ticket sales from 3,300 North American theaters against a $58 million production budget before P&A.
Deadline’s forecast for Smurfs — which stars the voices of Rihanna, John Goodmnan and James Corden — is roughly the same as Variety’s, as the trade publication is projecting a domestic opening anywhere from the “single digits” to $12 million.
Box Office Pro, however, is much more confident in Smurfs’ box office prospects and is projecting an opening of anywhere between $15 million to $20 million.
Meanwhile, A24’s Eddington— director Ari Aster’s COVID-19 drama starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal — is projected by Deadline to earn less than $5 million from 2,111 theaters.
Variety also forecasts a $5 million opening for Eddington. The film’s production budget information has not been released.
