Superman soars past $400 million worldwide in second weekend

In recent weeks, the movie Superman has established itself as a formidable presence at the box office. Released across North America, the film was directed by James Gunn and has reportedly performed well during its second weekend, accumulating an estimated $57 million. This brings its total domestic gross to approximately $235 million and its worldwide earnings to over $400 million. The film's success follows an opening weekend that yielded $125 million in ticket sales. These figures are significant as the movie aims to rejuvenate the DC Universe brand, which has faced a series of unsuccessful films. With a budget of $225 million, the film was positioned as a key player expected to revitalize the DC cinematic franchise. During its second weekend in theaters, Superman encountered competition from other new releases, such as 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and 'Smurfs,' both of which failed to make a considerable impact at the box office. Superman's performance marks a continuation of positive audience reception, with robust word-of-mouth likely contributing to its strong ticket sales. The ongoing success at the theaters indicates that the film has managed to regain public interest in the superhero genre, Additionally, the film is credited with kicking off a potential resurgence for DC Studios under the leadership of James Gunn and his co-DC Studios head Peter Safran. Their strategic planning aims at creating a new era for DC, with future projects like 'Supergirl' and 'Clayface' already in the pipeline for 2026. Analysts express hope that the positive momentum generated by Superman will pave the way for successful future releases, further solidifying the franchise's standing in the industry. While there is optimism regarding this film's performance, analysts caution about competing releases, noting how vital subsequent films will be for sustaining the franchise's revival. The industry is watching closely to see if Superman maintains its box office pace and how it stacks up against upcoming releases like Fantastic Four: First Steps, which could potentially challenge its current lead in the box office rankings.