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Movie leads box office charts in U.S., Canada

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Film delivers sixth No. 1 opening for Warner Bros this

year

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International sales below domestic

By Lisa Richwine

LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Reuters) - A new "Superman" movie

from Warner Bros hauled in an estimated $122 million to

lead weekend box office charts in the United States and Canada,

a strong domestic debut that kicked off a new era for DC comic

book heroes on the big screen.

The movie that introduces David Corenswet as the Man of Steel

added $95 million in international markets for global ticket

sales expected to reach $217 million through Sunday, Warner Bros

said.

"Superman" is a reboot of the movie franchise based on the

hero who debuted in comic books in 1938. The film's performance

is critical to the future of Warner Bros and its DC Studios

division.

Despite a stable of iconic characters including Batman and

Wonder Woman, DC has not been able to match the box office power

of Walt Disney's ( DIS ) Marvel superhero films.

The new "Superman" was written and directed by James Gunn,

the filmmaker known for three offbeat "Guardians of the Galaxy"

movies for Marvel. Gunn was tapped as co-CEO of DC Studios in

2022, alongside producer Peter Safran, and billed as the hero

who could bring consistent success to its film and TV projects.

"Superman" is one of only three films to debut with more

than $100 million in domestic ticket sales in 2025 as moviegoing

lingers below pre-pandemic levels.

"The domestic number is great. You can't beat a top three

opening of the year," Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at

Exhibitor Relations Co, said of the "Superman" results.

He called the international ticket sales "troubling" for a

big-budget action movie. The film cost $225 million to make,

according to a source with knowledge of the budget.

Jeff Goldstein, president of global distribution at Warner

Bros., said the studio was thrilled with the domestic response

and that the movie about an American icon performed as expected

overseas.

"We always knew that this would be bigger in the U.S. than

international," Goldstein said. "Superman has always been very

American-centric."

Gunn's take on the character earned positive reviews from

critics. Eighty-two percent of reviews collected on the Rotten

Tomatoes website gave the film a thumbs up.

Corenswet stars opposite "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" actor

Rachel Brosnahan as journalist Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as

villain Lex Luthor.

After box office misfires last year including "Furiosa" and

"Joker: Folie à Deux," Warner Bros has notched six No. 1

openings in 2025. The studio boasts this year's highest domestic

opening with "A Minecraft Movie," which pulled in $162.8 million

over its first three days in April.

The studio also has delivered hits with "Sinners," "Final

Destination Bloodlines" and "F1."

"Superman" is meant to set the stage for coming DC films

including a "Supergirl" movie next summer and future Batman and

Wonder Woman films.

Some conservative commentators objected to "Superman" when

Gunn said the movie about a refugee from another planet was an

immigrant story. U.S. President Donald Trump posted a meme that

showed his face in place of Corenswet's on a Superman poster.

The director and stars said the film was a tale about

kindness and no political message was intended.

"It's just a movie guys," actor Nathan Fillion, who plays

Green Lantern, told Variety at the film's Los Angeles premiere.

Elsewhere over the weekend, "Jurassic World Rebirth"

finished second on domestic charts with $40 million, according

to Comscore estimates. "F1" came in third, collecting $13

million.

Year-to-date ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada hovered

15% above 2024 but 24% below the pre-COVID times of 2019.