‘Superman’ Flies High with Record-Breaking Previews – The Highest This Year

James Gunn’s Superman has blasted off with a huge $22.5 million in Thursday previews across the U.S., making it the biggest preview of the year so far. That number puts it ahead of Barbie, which opened with $22.3 million in 2023, and The Batman, which had $21.6 million back in 2022. It’s now the third biggest preview for a DC movie ever, the fifth biggest for Warner Bros, and Gunn’s own personal best.

The film, released by Warner Bros and DC Studios, is off to a strong start. It made about $55 million on Friday alone, which includes those preview numbers. Right now, it’s expected to make at least $115 million for its opening weekend. Some people in the industry even think it might reach $120 million or more. It’s still early, but all signs are pointing to a huge win.

There were some early questions about whether political opinions or backlash could hurt the movie. But according to EntTelligence, that’s not really happening. They report that red county theaters usually make up about 33% of the audience for PG-13 family adventure movies, while blue counties bring in around 61%. For Superman, the numbers are right in line: 60% of tickets were sold in blue areas, and 34% in red.

That means the movie is performing just how it should. Also, EntTelligence says that most casual moviegoers don’t really care about a director’s personal opinions when deciding what to watch. Right now, 44% of the film’s business is coming from major cities with over a million people. That’s completely normal and a good sign for the movie’s reach.

While some studios are stressing over fewer people watching trailers, Superman didn’t have that problem. EntTelligence says the in-theater trailer was seen by 95.7 million moviegoers. A big reason for that is Warner Bros played it in front of A Minecraft Movie, which gave it a big boost. One source even said, “Kudos to Warners for running a great in-theater marketing campaign.”

Looking at similar movies, The Batman made $56.6 million on its first day and dropped 24% on Saturday, finishing its opening weekend with $134 million. Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opened with $56 million and barely dropped on Saturday, ending up with $146.5 million for the weekend. Guardians Vol. 3 started with $48.1 million and dropped 19%, pulling in $118.4 million in three days. Superman is following a very similar path.

As for audience reactions, they’ve been very positive. PostTrak reports that 78% of people would definitely recommend the movie. Kids under 12 and parents are loving it too, giving it five-star ratings. One person summed it up by saying, “You can take that to the bank, seriously.”

Right now, Superman is leading the box office. Behind it is Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth, which is expected to make around $37 million this weekend. WB’s racing film F1 is making about $10.7 million. How to Train Your Dragon is bringing in $5.7 million, and Disney’s Elio is pulling in $3.1 million.

Back in LA, it’s already tough to find a good seat at the 7PM IMAX screening of Superman at AMC Citywalk. Premium seats are selling fast, and it’s clear the movie is a major draw. Whether it lands at $115 million or shoots even higher, one thing’s for sure, Superman is flying high.

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