Was Superman actually a box office flop? A new report reveals that the DC Universe’s success may not be as clear-cut as many fans first thought.
Superman was an absolute triumph for the DC Universe. The project was a hit with both critics and audiences, giving the franchise a much-needed win after years of controversy. The film also did smashingly well at the box office. Despite larger socioeconomic issues keeping it from hitting a stride overseas, the film still made a hefty sum of $615,784,465.
Though signs point to the film not being as big of a success as some might think. A report from a Forbes contributor breaks down the box office of Superman with the reported production budget of $225 million and a marketing budget of $125 million. Using these numbers, it doesn’t seem as though the DC Universe film made a profit at all.
“Given that films generally split their ticket sales 50-50 with theater owners, this means that Superman’s theatrical net equates to nearly $308 million. The amount, of course, does not reflect any residuals that are being paid out or other miscellaneous expenses associated with the film.”
“Even going with the $308 million before taking the other expenses into account. Superman’s net falls below the $350 million Warner Bros. spent on the production of the film and marketing.”
Did Superman Bomb At The Box Office?
Of course, there are a LOT of factors the Forbes contributor left out of this box office analysis. Tax incentives, variable cuts for theater chains, and the entirety of merch and VOD sales. So even if Superman didn’t make back the entirety of its budget in theaters, it does seem to well and truly be a success for the DC Universe.
Just because Superman was a success doesn’t mean other projects will be. It’s a risky gamble for any franchise to put profitability solely on things outside of the film itself. And given some lesser-known entities like Clayface and The Authority are coming down the pipeline of the DC Universe, it’ll be interesting to see if they can overcome their box office shortcomings like Superman.
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