Supergirl's box office nosedive could cost $125 million
Supergirl just touched down in theaters, but instead of soaring the DCU’s latest is skidding at the box office, with forecasts pegging potential losses at up to $125 million.
You’d think launching a fresh Supergirl film in the cinema would be a safe bet for Warner Bros. and DC these days—or at least not a catastrophic one. Well, no. With Supergirl currently limping through its big-screen run, the financial spreadsheets are looking, frankly, dire.
How much has it made? (Spoiler: Not much)
If you were under the impression that superhero fatigue was a myth, just look at the receipts: Supergirl has pulled in only $68 million worldwide. That’s actually lower than the troubled debut of The Marvels (which is not a statement you ever want tied to your comic book blockbuster). DC and Warner dropped around $170 million on making this thing, then spent another $120 million just to make sure everyone knew it was happening.
Simple maths: If you’re in for nearly $300 million between production and marketing, and box office returns aren’t likely to crack $200 million total, you’re deep into the red. Studio insiders have been quietly telling Variety they’re braced for a loss sitting anywhere from $100m to $125m, with one or two optimists claiming the number could be "only" $80m to $85m down the drain. Either way, this is not a case of 'We’ll make it back on streaming.'
Facepalm-inducing competition
And as if that wasn’t enough, Supergirl is about to be battered on all sides by new releases. Minions & Monsters drops on 1 July, then Moana on 10 July, The Odyssey on the 17th, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings in on the 31st. There’s no breathing room—she’s boxed in tighter than Clark Kent at a Superman convention.
The source material and who's actually in it
The film’s inspiration is Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which is a genuinely cracking comic by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. For those not up-to-date: the film finds young alien Ruthye Marye Knoll hunting for Supergirl to help avenge her murdered father. When Supergirl hesitates, Ruthye makes it clear she’ll go full vigilante if necessary.
The full cast is a bit of a grab bag:
- Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl
- Eve Ridley (3 Body Problem) as Ruthye
- Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone) as Krem of the Yellow Hill
- David Krumholtz (Oppenheimer) as Zor-El
- Emily Beecham (1899) as Alura
- Jason Momoa as Lobo—a part he’s openly campaigned to play for ages
Craig Gillespie (he did I, Tonya) directs, with Ana Nogueira writing the script.