Supergirl's Mixed Box Office
Supergirl Faces Mixed Reviews and Box Office Start, Indicating Broader Superhero Fatigue
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Key Points
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In India, Supergirl opened to a breakdown by language with English contributing about Rs 1.05 crore of the Day 1 gross (the English version led), Hindi about Rs 0.20 crore, Tamil Rs 0.10 crore, and Telugu Rs 0.05 crore, totaling roughly Rs 1.67 crore from 2,967 shows.
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Domestically, Supergirl's Thursday previews totaled about $7.8 million and loomed as a step below the top weekend performers, with an opening-day figure around $18 million and previews outperforming Shazam and Black Adam but still behind Aquaman and the Flash.
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The film received a CinemaScore of B- from audiences, reportedly the first DC film to land a B- score, which is seen as a negative signal for word-of-mouth among PG-13 superhero releases.
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Overseas early results show about Rs 6.50 crore in international markets on Day 1, contributing to a worldwide gross around Rs 29 crore; Warner Bros had previously disclosed overseas totals around $5.2 million.
DC Studios' *Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow* launched Thursday with $7.8 million in North American preview screenings, putting it on track for a $39–40 million domestic opening weekend, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That figure falls well short of early June tracking that had predicted $55 million or more — and it won't topple *Toy Story 5*, which is projected to hold with $74–90 million in its second weekend.
The film, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, carries a reported $170 million production budget and a $100 million marketing spend. That means it likely needs more than $400 million worldwide just to break even — a target that looks very hard to reach right now.
A B- CinemaScore Signals Weak Word of Mouth
Opening-night audiences gave *Supergirl* a CinemaScore of B-, making it the lowest-rated mainline DC film in years, according to Scott Mendelson. CinemaScore grades matter because they predict how fast a movie fades. Films below B+ tend to drop sharply in week two. For comparison, *Batman v Superman* and *The Flash* both earned a B — and those were already considered disappointments.
Critics have been equally cool. The film sits at a 56–57% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Verified audience scores are higher at 76%, but trades like *Variety* say the B- CinemaScore reflects real dissatisfaction from casual moviegoers, not just online fan battles. Director Gillespie's approach has been called "bumpy" and "uninspired" by some reviewers.
Preview Numbers Beat Black Adam, Trail The Flash
The $7.8 million preview total includes special Wednesday fan screenings plus Thursday night shows starting at 3 PM. That beats *Black Adam*'s $7.6 million previews and *Shazam*'s numbers. But it trails *The Flash*, which pulled $9.7 million in previews — itself considered a flop, according to Yahoo Finance. Friday's full opening day landed at roughly $18 million including those previews.
The film opened in 3,600+ North American venues. Early tracking from June had suggested a $55 million domestic opening. The gap between that forecast and the current $39–40 million projection shows how quickly audience interest cooled once reviews hit and *Toy Story 5* proved dominant. The Pixar sequel opened to a record $160 million just one week earlier.
International Markets and India Offer a Partial Lifeline
Overseas, the film earned roughly $5.2 million on its first day, contributing to a worldwide opening-day total of about $13 million. In India, Day 1 brought in approximately Rs 1.67 crore net from 2,967 shows. The English-language version led with Rs 1.05 crore, followed by Hindi at Rs 0.20 crore, Tamil at Rs 0.10 crore, and Telugu at Rs 0.05 crore. Competition from *Welcome to the Jungle* weighed on Indian performance.
Global projections point to an $80–90 million international opening. That's far below the level needed for a $170 million film with a massive marketing bill. The studio is counting on international holdover weeks to soften the blow, but weak word of mouth — signaled by the B- CinemaScore — makes a strong second weekend unlikely anywhere.
DC's Broader Bet on James Gunn Now Under Pressure
*Supergirl* is only the second film in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe, following last summer's *Superman*, which earned $618.7 million worldwide. Gunn described *Supergirl* as a "hardcore" sci-fi story inspired by Tom King's 2021 comic — a cynical, road-trip revenge tale that breaks sharply from the classic hero mold. That gamble appears to have alienated the broad family audience the film needed, according to Scott Mendelson.
All eyes now shift to October's *Clayface* — a lower-budget, R-rated genre film — and next year's *Man of Tomorrow* to stabilize the brand. Gunn's contract runs through 2027, so his job is safe for now. But two films into the DCU relaunch, the question of whether audiences will commit to a full shared universe in today's market remains very much open.
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