In a setback for Warner Bros. ′ which revamped DC’s film operations, “Supergirl” was nowhere close to “Toy Story 5” at the box office, opening a distant second place to the Pixar blockbuster.
Toy Story 5 tops the North American box office
After a near-record debut for an animated film, “Toy Story 5” remained No. 1 at the box office with $70 million in domestic sales and another $89.1 million overseas, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Walt Disney Company release in two quick weeks grossed $585 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.The film is also expected to become the biggest entry in the 31-year-old franchise, a record that currently belongs to Toy Story 4 with US$1.07 billion.
“Supergirl’s” debut is disappointing
But “Supergirl” failed to take off. It opened to US$38 million in US and Canadian theaters. Added US$30 million in overseas markets. Thus, the film achieved a global debut estimated at US$68 million. The film’s production cost was approximately US$170 million.Craig Gillespie’s superhero film is the second big-screen release from James Gunn and Peter Safran, who are set to lead DC Studios in late 2022.
Their debut release, 2025’s “Superman,” grossed $618 million worldwide, a strong enough start for the duo. Gunn, who serves as a producer on Supergirl, has handed over directing duties to Gillespie, the director of I, Tonya and Cruella.But the film directed by Millie Alcock failed with both critics and moviegoers. Gillespie’s film was reportedly cut heavily after test screenings, received poor reviews (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and received a “B-” rating from audiences.
In the film, she plays Supergirl, or Lara Zor-El, a younger cousin of Superman who is more of a party girl than a world-saver.“Supergirl’s” weak opening weekend puts it behind disappointing DC film debuts like “The Flash” ($55 million in 2023) and “The Green Lantern” ($53 million in 2011), and just barely ahead of “Joker: Folie a Deux” ($37.7 million in 2024).
Superhero movies no longer drive box office success
David A. noted. Gross, who runs the film consulting firm FranchiseRe, noted that superhero movies are no longer driving the box office like they did before the pandemic.
There are fewer annual releases, and the genre’s box office is down about US$3.5 billion annually from its highs in 2017-19.After massive successes like Wonder Woman ($822 million in 2017) and Captain Marvel ($1.13 billion in 2019), female-fronted superhero films have also seen a decline.DC’s next release is “Clayface,” a body horror film for the DC character, set for release in October. Gunn’s follow-up to Superman, Man of Tomorrow, is currently in production.
It is dated July 2027.
“Obsession” becomes the sixth highest-grossing film of all time
The small-budget horror phenomenon “Mania” has continued to remain extraordinarily strong. It placed third in its opening weekend with US$9.8 million in its seventh weekend of release. Carrie Parker’s film, which made for less than $1 million, has already collected $233.9 million domestically for Focus Features, as well as $108.9 million internationally.With a gross collection of over $370 million worldwide, the film is now poised to surpass “Sinners” and become the highest-grossing live-action original film of the 2020s. The film also officially displaced The Exorcist from sixth place on the list of highest-grossing horror films of all time at the North American box office.
‘Donkey: the best and the last “It earned a US$10.3 million global debut
Paramount Pictures’ “Jackass: Best and Last” was the other new wide release released over the weekend.
The latest collection of stunts from Johnny Knoxville and Company opened to a modest $8.4 million from 2,855 North American theaters, but stumbled overseas with $1.9 million from 19 markets for a $10.3 million global debut. While that’s a good result for a movie that only cost $10 million, the 2022 sequel, “Jackass Forever,” debuted to $23 million before finally hitting the box office. 80 million US dollars worldwide.
The “invitation” was off to a bad start
Olivia Wilde’s comedy “The Invite” achieved one of the best screen averages of the year. It opened on seven screens in New York and Los Angeles, and debuted to $379,104, good for a per-screen average of $54,158.Wilde’s third film as a director stars Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton as a pair of San Francisco couples who meet for an impromptu night together. A24 acquired the film following its Sundance Film Festival premiere.
The independent distributor is hoping that “The Invite,” which expands next week and goes nationwide on July 10, can revive its largely dormant summer comedy.
Top 10 films at the domestic box office
With final domestic numbers released Monday, this list takes into account estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:1. Toy Story 5 – US$70 million.2. Supergirl – $38 million.3. Obsession – US$9.8 million.4. The Donkey: The Best and the Last – 8.4 million US dollars.5. Disclosure Day – $8.1 million.6. Backroom – $4.3 million.7. Scary Movie – $3 million.8. Masters of the Universe – $2.2 million.9. Bleach: A Thousand Year Blood War – Cataclysm – $2 million USD.10. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu – $1.6 million.