James Gunn’s DC Universe desperately needed Supergirl to deliver its first genuine theatrical hit at the box office. Instead, the film continues to post alarming numbers that are becoming harder and harder to spin.
After opening well below expectations, suffering one of the worst second-weekend drops in modern superhero history, and now sliding all the way to No. 8 in just its third weekend, Supergirl has reached another embarrassing milestone. It was beaten this weekend by Obsession—a low-budget horror film that has been playing in theaters for nine weeks.
That’s right. A horror movie in its ninth weekend out-earned Warner Bros.’ $170 million superhero tentpole.
For DC Studios, that’s a brutal headline.
Supergirl Drops to No. 8 at the Domestic Box Office
According to the latest domestic weekend numbers, Supergirl earned just $3.56 million in North America during its third weekend.
That brings the film to:
- $66.0 million domestic
- $115.4 million worldwide
Those numbers would be disappointing under almost any circumstances. They’re especially painful considering where expectations stood only a few months ago.
READ: Michael Becomes First Biopic To Ever Hit $1 Billion
Before release, many industry projections had Supergirl opening somewhere between $60 million and $70 million domestically. Even the more pessimistic forecasts generally expected an opening in the upper $40 million range.
Instead, after three weekends in theaters, the movie has barely surpassed what many analysts originally expected it to make in just three days.
A Nine-Week Horror Movie Is Still Beating Supergirl
Perhaps the most eye-catching statistic this weekend isn’t Supergirl’s gross itself.
It’s who beat it.
Obsession, the breakout horror hit from YouTube creator Curry Barker, earned $3.8 million in its ninth weekend, narrowly edging out Supergirl’s $3.56 million to claim seventh place. Earlier reports chronicled the film’s extraordinary staying power, with Obsession repeatedly defying normal box office trends for low-budget horror releases.
Inde Navarrette as Nikki and Michael Johnston as Baron Bailey in Obsession – Focus Features, Blumhouse Productions
There’s a certain irony here.
One film is three weeks old and reportedly cost around $170 million before marketing. It also carries one of the most recognizable superhero brands in entertainment. The other is a modestly budgeted horror film made for under $1 million that’s been in theaters for more than two months.
Yet this weekend, audiences chose the horror movie.
The Road to $150 Million Looks Increasingly Difficult
When Supergirl opened, some trade outlets suggested the film might still recover enough to reach around $200 million worldwide, even as that figure was already being described as a disappointing outcome.
Today, even that increasingly looks optimistic.
Supergirl – DC
READ: Longtime James Bond Casting Director Says Next 007 Shouldn’t Be a Person of Color or Woman
With just $115.4 million worldwide after three weekends, Supergirl would need another $84.6 million simply to reach that already-reduced target.
Based on its current trajectory, even $150 million worldwide is beginning to look like an uphill climb.
The steep second-weekend collapse severely damaged the film’s momentum, and its third-weekend performance suggests audiences have largely moved on. Analysts have already highlighted how the movie’s second-weekend decline placed it among the worst-performing modern comic book releases.
A Brutal Summer for DC
The disappointing performance raises difficult questions for James Gunn’s DC Studios.
Superhero films have always experienced second-weekend drops, but successful franchises typically stabilize after opening weekend and continue generating meaningful revenue throughout the rest of their theatrical run.
James Gunn sits for an interview – YouTube, GQ
READ: Avengers Doomsday Art Seems to Confirm Steve Rogers Will NOT Be Suiting Up as Captain America
Instead, Supergirl continues falling rapidly down the rankings.
Just three weekends after release, it now sits at No. 8 domestically, behind animated films, horror films, family movies, and even an independent release that expanded nationwide weeks after opening.
That’s not the trajectory Warner Bros. hoped to see from one of the foundational films of its new DC Universe.
The Numbers Keep Moving in the Wrong Direction
Box office runs aren’t judged solely by opening weekends. They’re judged by staying power.
Unfortunately for Supergirl, every weekend seems to produce another statistic that makes its performance look even worse.
A clip from Supergirl – DC
The film has now:
- Opened below many pre-release expectations.
- Suffered one of the worst second-weekend drops for a modern superhero movie.
- Fallen to No. 8 by its third weekend.
- Been out-earned by a ninth-weekend independent horror hit.
While theatrical runs can always surprise, the current trajectory suggests Supergirl is running out of time to significantly improve its fortunes.
At this point, simply reaching $150 million worldwide would represent a meaningful challenge. And the $200 million worldwide figure that some industry observers once viewed as a disappointing floor now appears increasingly out of reach.
How do you feel about the Supergirl box office? Sound off and let us know!
UP NEXT: Michael Becomes First Biopic To Ever Hit $1 Billion
