Seems like Warner Bros and James Gunn might have a “Supergirl” problem.
“Supergirl” tracking, which was in the $50M range last week, has now further plummeted to $40M. Just a few weeks ago, decent presales for the film had hinted that $55–60M was a possibility. Not anymore.
Among the comic book movies released this decade, “Supergirl” is projected to now have a lower opening weekend than “The Marvels” ($46M) and land in the same range as “Morbius” ($39M) and “Joker: Folie à Deux” ($37M).
At least “Supergirl” has a budget that’s slightly lower than those titles ($175M), but it’s still an expensive film and is looking like it’ll become one of the bigger flops of the movie year. Just to compare, that $40M figure would be just a third of what “Superman” made last year in its opening weekend ($125M).
More bad news: social media reactions are very mixed, which spells trouble for reviews—the embargo lifts on Wednesday. This is especially concerning considering the amount of overpraising that usually comes with first reactions. Not with “Supergirl.”
I am fascinated by how much buzz has dwindled on this film, which was originally met with very positive vibes but has had momentum slowly eroding over the past few weeks. It makes one wonder what the future of James Gunn’s DCU might look like. “Clayface” is next in October, and Gunn’s “Superman” sequel will be in theaters summer 2027.
“Supergirl,” set to hit theaters on Friday, is directed by Craig Gillespie, who isn’t a bad filmmaker; he’s best known for his highly stylized work on “I, Tonya,” “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Dumb Money,” and “Cruella.””
