“Supergirl” didn’t catch her stride at the international box office. The latest comic book adaptation from Warner Bros. and DC Studios has collected just $30 million from 77 markets, a weak start for a tentpole of this size and scale.
“Supergirl” also stumbled in North America with $38 million for a worldwide debut of $68 million. The problem for the studio is the intergalactic-set adventure cost $170 million to produce — and reviews and audience scores are polarizing, which doesn’t bode well for box office longevity.
Directed by Craig Gillespie, “Supergirl” centers on the Man of Steel’s cousin (Milly Alcock) who reluctantly joins an alien girl named Ruthye on a quest for vengeance and justice. Critics and audiences were similarly mixed on the film, which carries a disappointing 56% on Rotten Tomatoes and tepid “B-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Overseas, the most notable results were the United Kingdom with $4.1 million, followed by Mexico with $3.4 million and Australia with $2 million. “Supergirl” has yet to release in Japan or Belgium.
“Supergirl” is the follow-up to last year’s modest hit “Superman,” which took flight with $95 million overseas and ended up with $618 million worldwide. Although that movie seemed to successfully reboot the DC Universe under the direction of James Gunn and Peter Safran, the initial results for “Supergirl” are already underscoring the challenges of building an interconnected film franchise.
“Supergirl” wasn’t the only newcomer that failed to take flight. Paramount’s outrageous comedy “Jackass: Best and Last” cratered with $1.9 million from 19 markets, representing 70% of the international footprint. Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man and their other daredevil friends star in “Jackass: Best and Last,” which has been positioned as the fifth and final installment in the long-running series featuring increasingly unhinged pranks and stunts. Although it’ll wind up as the lowest-grossing entry, “Jackass 5” cost just $10 million to produce, so it doesn’t need to earn much to turn a theatrical profit.
With “Supergirl” and “Jackass: Best and Last” struggling to motivate international moviegoers, “Toy Story 5” easily remained No. 1 at the overseas box office. The latest installment in Disney and Pixar’s beloved animated franchise remained a force with $89.1 million from 49 markets, a mere 36% decline from its debut. Top territories are Mexico with $48 million, the U.K. with $37.8 million, China with $29.8 million and France with $15.7 million. So far, “Toy Story 5” has earned $287 million internationally and $585 million globally after just 12 days in theaters. It’s poised to overtake “Toy Story 4” ($1.07 billion) as the highest-grossing chapter in the long-running series.
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