‘Superman’ soars to top of North American box office with $122 million debut

The latest Superman film has rocketed to the top of the North American box office in its opening weekend, raking in an estimated $122 million, according to industry figures released Sunday.

The high-budget action movie from Warner Bros. and DC Studios marks a new chapter for the iconic superhero, with James Gunn at the helm as director. David Corenswet takes on the mantle of the Man of Steel, while Rachel Brosnahan portrays Lois Lane.

“This is an outstanding domestic opening for the seventh episode in a superhero story that’s been filmed for over 75 years,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “Mr. Gunn chose not to rely on big stars. The storytelling and filmmaking are doing the work here.”

In its second week, Jurassic World: Rebirth dropped to second place with $40 million in ticket sales. The Universal Pictures blockbuster stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali, and is set on an abandoned island research facility tied to the original Jurassic Park.

Third place went to F1: The Movie, a high-octane Apple and Warner Bros. production starring Brad Pitt as a former Formula One driver chasing one final shot at glory. It earned $13 million over the weekend.

Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon, a live-action remake of the beloved 2010 animated film, followed in fourth place with $7.8 million.

Rounding out the top five was Disney/Pixar’s Elio, an original animated film about a boy mistaken by aliens as Earth’s intergalactic ambassador. It brought in $3.9 million.

“It’s summertime and the big pictures are loud and visually dazzling: Superman, Jurassic, F1, and How to Train Your Dragon,” Gross noted. “Audiences want to be transported and taken away, and they’re getting what they want.”

The rest of the top 10:
28 Years Later – $2.73 million

Lilo & Stitch – $2.7 million

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – $1.5 million

M3GAN 2.0 – $1.4 million

Materialists – $720,000