After yet another disappointing weekend at the box office, Warner Bros.’ Supergirl has dropped out of the domestic top five just three weeks after release, and the DC superhero film is running under par. The drop follows Warner Bros. cutting more than a thousand screens from the movie’s theatrical release.
About $3.5 million to $3.8 million is expected to be made on the third weekend in North America in the film, which stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El and is directed by Craig Gillespie. Based on the estimates, Supergirl will be the No. 8 film at the domestic box office for the weekend.
A difficult start at the box office
The movie made $37.1 million within 3,602 theaters domestically, which was below the early estimates from industry analysts that predicted an opening of around $55 million.
Soon, it was left behind by its slow revenue on the second weekend, which dropped by 77%, drawing in only $8.6 million. The third weekend decline reiterates the movie’s woes in a crowded summer marketplace.
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Worldwide earnings remain well below expectations
After three weekends, the estimated total attendance for Supergirl is approximately:
- Domestic: Approximately $66 million
- International: Around $46.4 million
- Worldwide: Roughly $112 million
Those numbers are still well shy of the standard that a movie of its size needs to be profitable.
The movie’s production cost is estimated to be around $170 million, of which an estimated $120 million went into global marketing.
Reports point to significant financial losses
The industry analysts are expecting the movie to lose a lot of money in theatres.
Estimates of breakeven for box-office movies depend on how much the studio spends to distribute the movie and what revenue it generates after theaters close, but many box-office experts figure a comic-book movie of this size must gross at least $300 million to $375 million globally.
Based on current projections, the amount of money that could be spent on Supergirl is somewhere around:
- Around $100 million domestically
- The global market is valued at $200-$210 million.
Based on those projections, the loss in theaters alone could be as high as $80 million, or even exceed $100 million, depending on how many tickets are sold worldwide and what additional income is generated.
Competition adds pressure
Superhero adventures have been busy all month in July.
Meanwhile, new movies such as Minions & Monsters, Disney’s live-action “Moana”, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” are all set for release and are likely to put the pressure on Supergirl further.
Production challenges reportedly emerged behind the scenes
It was reported after the movie’s release that there were creative conflicts during the post-production process.
The industry reports that even though the project had to undergo numerous cuts and only modest test screening scores before its theatrical debut, it was the first of its kind.
Details of those creatively discussed reports have not been shared by Warner Bros. and DC Studios.
Home release could arrive later this month
Theatrical momentum has waned, and now it’s starting to turn to the digital release of the film.
Supergirl is in charge of Warner Bros.’ recent release policy and is highly anticipated to be released on Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) before July ends, but no official release date has been announced yet.
A home release would give the studio another shot at making money, following a less-than-ideal theatrical debut.
What it means for DC Studios
Based on the rebooted DC Universe helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran, Supergirl is the second theatrical film to be produced under their supervision, following the $618 million worldwide grossing of Superman (2025).
Despite the disappointing performance, DC Studios has continued to move ahead with its plans in the long term.
Clayface will appear on October 23, and Superman: Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to be released on July 9th, 2027, in which Milly Alcock is rumored to return as Supergirl.
Supergirl hasn’t been able to resonate with general audiences, but industry analysts have pointed out that the success of one movie isn’t going to be the deciding factor for the DC Studios’ franchise plan as a whole.
The studio’s biggest characters, such as Superman and Batman, are seen as good theatrical performers, and there’s a possibility that its future projects with lesser-known characters will need smaller budgets and marketing budgets.
