Will 'Superman' Flop Without $700 Million? Director Says Not So Fast
In the world of big Hollywood blockbusters, sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars aren't enough to make a movie a hit. Earlier this year, Marvel's Thunderbolts* made $189 million at the domestic box office, but its budget was about $180 million. So, even though that was a respectable number, the movie wasn't considered to be a huge success despite getting great reviews. So, is the new DC epic Superman possibly in for a rough start? Does it need to make upwards of $700 million at the global box office to justify its budget of $225 million?
According to Superman director James Gunn, everyone needs to chill out. "It’s not as big as people make it out to be," Gunn said in a recent interview with GQ, which was reported by Variety. “They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes $700 million or something, and it’s just complete and utter nonsense."
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Gunn knows a thing or two about managing expectations for superhero flicks. Back in 2014, he directed Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, a movie focused on a bunch of characters that were largely unknown to moviegoers. And the success of that movie is probably where that $700 million figure comes from. Back then, after a very successful theatrical run, Guardians of the Galaxy grossed $772 million at the global box office.
Since leaving Marvel to come work for DC — and creating the new DC Studios — Gunn has vowed to do things differently than the MCU. The new Superman won't be an origin story, and Gunn has repeatedly said that he's not planning out phases for the new DC movies in the style of Marvel.
For now, the new Superman is something of a cultural experiment, with Gunn as a kind of mad scientist. Can the culture at large care about this idealistic hero again?
"There were a few glory years when Marvel could put out anything and it would make $650 million," Gunn told The Times (UK) recently. "But those days are gone. Now it has to be something that really grabs an audience.”
All that being said, the box office isn't the end-all-be-all metric of a movie's success. Superman could make a ton of money through various licensing deals, like toys and clothing. Not to mention the profits earned from eventual video-on-demand options. The newly formed DC Studios probably needs a hit, but as Gunn says, it may not need to be as big as some pundits are suggesting.
With advanced Amazon screenings of Superman starting on July 8, we'll soon see if the world is ready for a new, brighter Man of Steel.
Superman will hit theaters in a limited release on July 8. It will be in wide release on July 11.
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