‘Supergirl’ Global Opening Numbers Show Dismal Performance Overseas

The domestic letdown for ‘Supergirl’ is just part of the narrative. As reported by Luiz Fernando, the film’s international performance is shaping up to be even more concerning, with overseas markets contributing only $5.7 million on Friday across 78 territories. This brings the total international cumulative for the first five days to $11.1 million, pushing the global opening projection to a range between $62 million and $77 million.

According to Deadline, the global total currently sits around a $75 million start, with $11 million coming from 78 overseas markets across 40,000 screens. This figure falls significantly short of the studio’s target of over $80 million for the global launch leading up to the release.

Japan reported one of the most disappointing individual market performances, with ‘Supergirl’ opening in second place behind ‘Michael,’ earning approximately $380,000 on its first Friday. This figure marks the second-lowest Friday opening for a DC film in the country over the past thirteen years, surpassed only by ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods.’

The audience reception metrics are adding further pressure to the already soft numbers. ‘Supergirl’ received a B- CinemaScore from opening-day viewers, which is lower than ‘The Flash,’ ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,’ ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods,’ and even the troubled ‘Green Lantern.’ Only ‘The Marvels,’ which earned a B, and no major DC film in recent memory, has performed comparably poorly. A PostTrak definite recommend score of 52% is also significantly below what studio tentpoles of this scale typically require to maintain momentum.

Demographically, the film attracted a predominantly male audience over 25, with this group accounting for 41% of ticket sales. In contrast, men and women under 25, the demographic Warner Bros. aimed to engage through its Ulta Beauty partnership and youth-focused marketing efforts, represented only 18% and 15% respectively. The inability to connect with the Gen Z audience is particularly significant for a film centered around a young, fresh-faced lead.

Warner Bros. insiders have reportedly set an internal target of $300 million worldwide, a figure that is already quite modest considering the film’s estimated production budget of $170 million to $186 million before marketing. The studio has highlighted Matthias Schoenaerts’s international appeal as a potential boost for overseas markets, although with France and Belgium not opening until the following weekend, the early foreign footprint remains limited.

The silver lining in the numbers may be found off-screen. ‘Supergirl’ has secured over $100 million in media value from its global promotional partner campaign, which DC Studios describes as the largest in the brand’s history. This factor could significantly lower the actual break-even point, regardless of how the theatrical total ultimately unfolds. However, with the CinemaScore, audience metrics, and international momentum all trending negatively, the path to any form of profitability appears considerably longer than it did just a week ago.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!