Box Office: ‘Superman’ Leaps Past $300M Globally, Nears $200M Domestically

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On Thursdays, James Gunn’s Superman movie surpassed $300 million at the global box office, as it moves into its second weekend. This total includes a remarkable domestic earning of $177.7 million, boosted by robust midweek ticket sales.

As a devoted fan, I can confidently say that the DC Studios and Warner Bros. superhero film will continue its reign at the box office during its second run, outperforming fresh releases like “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Smurfs” remakes. These new films are reboots, and it’s predicted they’ll only manage to gather less than $13 million domestically in their opening weekends.

The horror film titled “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” produced by Columbia and Screen Gems, made $2.2 million in its Thursday preview screenings. Unlike the original films, this new version features Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprising their roles, but introduces a fresh cast to the series, consisting of Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, and Gabbriette Bechtel.

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The R-rated horror movie “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” produced by Columbia and Screen Gems, brought in $2.2 million during its Thursday previews. Unlike the previous films, this new installment brings Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. back to their roles, but also introduces a number of newcomers to the series – Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, and Gabbriette Bechtel.

In a scenario three decades after the initial movie, the plot once more revolves around a band of companions who conceal an unintentional fatality they caused. A year elapses, and one of them finds a chilling message hinted in the title. Shortly thereafter, a murderer equipped with a metal hook, donning a fisherman’s raincoat and hat, starts brutally eliminating them one by one. Eventually, they seek help from two individuals who survived the infamous Southport Massacre of 1997, portrayed by actors Hewitt and Prinze.

The newly revamped version of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” hasn’t been warmly received by critics, with a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences seem to have a more favorable opinion, with an audience score of 68%. It’s possible that this horror movie may become the latest casualty of growing tiredness for horror films at the box office, while “Superman” appears to be avoiding the same fatigue that has affected the superhero genre so far.

The Smurfs, previously owned by Sony and now under Paramount, skipped Thursday previews and will officially debut everywhere on Friday. This animated family movie has failed to impress critics so far, despite boasting a star-studded voice cast that includes Rihanna as her first Smurf role. The ensemble also features Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Alex Winter, Billie Lourd, Maya Erskine, John Goodman, Kurt Russell, and Jimmy Kimmel, among others. As of now, the critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes stands at 20%, but there is yet to be an audience score.

Under the direction of Chris Miller, the film titled “Smurfs” marks a return to the big screen for this franchise after eight years. Enhancing its appeal is the presence of Rihanna as Smurfette, who brings dance and music to the movie. The narrative revolves around Smurfette embarking on a quest to rescue their leader, which takes them from various locations such as Paris, Munich, and the Australian Outback. Along the way, they encounter small, bird-like creatures known as Snooterpoots. Interestingly, their leader is given voice by Lyonne.

All attention, nonetheless, will focus on Superman as it continues its second week, with anticipation high about how well it can maintain its performance. Given the opportunity, it could easily surpass the entire global lifetime earnings of Marvel’s Thunderbolts, which peaked at $383 million this year. Compared to this, Marvel’s other 2025 release, Captain America: Brave New World, did not perform exceptionally well, with a total worldwide gross of just $415 million.

Marvel is aiming to revive its success with the release of “Fantastic Four: First Steps” in theaters next week, on July 25. This leaves “Superman” a week of solo run before encountering head-to-head competition. Both blockbusters are trying to reboot their respective series.

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2025-07-18 20:56