Man of Steel vs. Superman Movies + Henry Cavill Films

Man of Steel with Superman Henry Cavill.

Man of Steel 2013 box office: $250 million milestone in North America

July 3 update: Directed by Zack Snyder, and starring Henry Cavill, Man of Steel passed the $250 million milestone at the North American box office on Monday, July 1. On that day, Man of Steel added $3 million, for a domestic cume of $251.6 million, according to figures found at boxofficemojo.com. After adding another $2.8 million on Tuesday, July 2, the Superman reboot’s domestic total currently stands at $254.4 million.

Not adjusted for inflation, Man of Steel is no. 28 on Box Office Mojo’s chart of the fastest movies to reach $250 million at the North American box office: 18 days. The no. 1 title is Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, with 6 days. Other movies that also took 18 days to reach $250 million – years ago, when ticket prices were lower – are Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004), and Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). All three movies eventually passed the $300 million milestone.

Man of Steel box office: To reach $300 million domestic?

Now, will the $225 million-budgeted Man of Steel (not including marketing and distribution expenses) also pass the $300 million milestone at the domestic box office? That seems likely, though it may be a tad more difficult for Man of Steel despite the upcoming extended Fourth of July weekend in the United States.

Despite a steady number of venues, Man of Steel‘s weekend-to-weekend drop-off rates have been sizable: 65 percent on the second weekend, 50 percent on the third. Even if Zack Snyder’s 2013 Superman movie adds another $20 million in the next four days (Thu.–Sun.), Man of Steel will likely continue to suffer steep drops in the coming weekends, following the release of more high-profile movies geared to the action crowd, e.g., Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim on July 12 and Red 2 on July 19 – and the inevitable loss of hundreds of theaters.

Internationally, Man of Steel‘s cume currently stands at $271.7 million. To date, its top international markets are China with $47.2 million, the United Kingdom with $40.7 million, Mexico with $19.9 million, South Korea with $14.7 million, and France with $13.8 million. Man of Steel has yet to open in Brazil and Japan. The film’s worldwide cume stands at $526.1 million.

Man of Steel vs. Superman Returns vs. Superman

Without the advantage of 3D surcharges, Bryan Singer / Brandon Routh’s $270 million-budgeted Superman Returns cumed at $200.08 million in North America, in addition to $191 million internationally. In 2013 dollars, Superman Returns’ domestic gross would be approximately $242 million.

Richard Donner / Christopher Reeve’s Superman cumed at $134.21 million at the North American box office in 1978/79, or about $455 million in 2013. Internationally, Superman, the first superhero blockbuster, scored an incredible (for the time) $166 million, or about $530 million today, as per Box Office Mojo. Superman cost a reported $55 million, or approximately $196 million today.

Superman movies: Top cast members

Besides Henry Cavill as Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman, the Man of Steel cast features Best Director Oscar winner Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves) and Best Actor Oscar winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator). The 2013 Superman reboot also features four Oscar nominees: Amy Adams (Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter, The Master), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), Diane Lane (Unfaithful), and Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do with It).

Also in the Man of Steel cast: Ayelet Zurer, Dylan Sprayberry, Antje Traue, Christopher Meloni, Cooper Timberline, Harry Lennix, Richard Schiff, Michael Kelly, Mackenzie Gray, and Richard Cretone.

The Man of Steel screenplay is credited to David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), from a story by Goyer and Batman trilogy director Christopher Nolan – who is also credited as one of the Man of Steel producers.

In addition to Brandon Routh, Superman Returns features two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, American Beauty), Kate Bosworth, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Oscar winner Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront), Oscar nominee Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Sam Huntington, Kal Penn, and Jack Larson (TV’s Jimmy).

Besides Christopher Reeve, the 1978 Superman movie features Margot Kidder; two-time Best Actor Oscar winner Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront, The Godfather); Oscar winner Gene Hackman (The French Connection, later also for Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven); Oscar nominees Jackie Cooper (Skippy), Valerie Perrine (Lenny), Susannah York (They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?), Ned Beatty (Network), and Trevor Howard (Sons and Lovers); and veterans Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Harry Andrews, and John Stuart (whose career dated back to the early silent era, including a major role in Alfred Hitchcock’s first directorial effort, The Pleasure Garden).

Dylan Sprayberry as the young Clark Kent in Man of Steel

Man of Steel box office to reach $150 million in North America today

June 18 update: Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill in the title role, Man of Steel will undoubtedly pass the $150 million milestone at the North American box office on Tuesday, June 19. Partly boosted by 3D surcharges, after about four and a quarter days (including $12 million from Thursday evening screenings), Warner Bros.’ $225 million-budgeted Man of Steel has taken in $141.26 million from 4,207 U.S. and Canada locations, including $12.58 million on Monday as per Boxofficemojo.com.

For comparison’s sake: From Friday-Monday, without the advantage of box-office-inflating 3D surcharges, Jon Favreau / Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man earned $105.55 million, or about $117 million today. So, if the 3D surcharges* are deducted from Man of Steel‘s Friday-to-Monday total, the 2013 Superman reboot would be left with $116.34 million. In other words, the $140 million-budgeted Iron Man might – stress might – still remain slightly ahead of the 2013 Superman reboot in number of ticket sales.

When it’s such a close call, an exact comparison between actual ticket sales – the true measure of a film’s popularity – is just about impossible without hard data from exhibitors or distributors. And it’s worth noting that in the last five or so years, annual ticket price averages have encompassed both 3D (25 to 40+ percent pricier) and 2D movies – thus making inflation-adjusted grosses of pre-2009 2D movies somewhat, well, inflated. Anyhow, if it hasn’t achieved that feat already, Man of Steel is on track to surpassing Iron Man in number of ticket sales in the next day or so – even without taking into account the film’s Thursday screenings.

Internationally, Man of Steel has grossed an estimated $73.3 million from 24 territories.

Man of Steel cast

Besides Henry Cavill as Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman, the Man of Steel cast features Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Ayelet Zurer, Dylan Sprayberry, Antje Traue, Christopher Meloni, Mackenzie Gray, Harry Lennix, Cooper Timberline, Michael Kelly, Richard Schiff, and Richard Cretone.

The Man of Steel screenplay is credited to David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises), from a story by Goyer and Batman trilogy filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who also happens to be one of Man of Steel‘s producers.

Domestic box office chart

Also of note on the domestic box office chart, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s apocalyptic comedy This Is the End has an impressive six-day cume of $33.44 million, after adding $3.41 million on Monday at no. 2 on the chart. This Is the End features, among others, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Emma Watson, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, and co-director Rogen.

Louis Leterrier’s Now You See Me has a current cume of $82.19 million. The $100 million domestic milestone remains within reach, as the heist thriller featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fischer, Morgan Freeman, and Woody Harrelson continues to add nearly $1.5 million per day ($1.48 million on Monday).

Currently with $53.14 million, The Purge, featuring Ethan Hawke, will likely manage to reach $60 million, but it’ll have trouble going much beyond that. On Monday, the cheaply made (but not-that-cheaply marketed) and poorly received horror flick earned $1.18 million. Of note: The Purge will surely end up ahead of M. Night Shyamalan / Will Smith’s $120 million-budgeted sci-fier After Earth, which collected a measly $512k on Monday, for a domestic total of $55.02 million.

At no. 5 after adding $1.08 million on Monday, the fast-and-furiously fading Fast & Furious 6 has a cume of $220.8 million, . Directed by Justin Lin, Fast & Furious 6 stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, and Dwayne Johnson.

Iron Man 3 box office: $400 million domestic milestone around the corner

And finally, Iron Man 3 will reach the $400 million milestone at the U.S. and Canada box office on Tuesday. After 46 days, the Shane Black-directed Iron Man sequel has a domestic cume of $399.98 million. Besides Robert Downey Jr., the Iron Man 3 cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, and Guy Pearce.

* To calculate 3D surcharges, we use a 33 percent price-increase average for the amount earned from 3D theaters.

Dylan Sprayberry as the young Clark Kent in Man of Steel photo: Warner Bros.

Man of Steel weekend box office: Above estimates, but real June record remains beyond the reach of Superman 2013 reboot

June 17 update: Somewhat surprisingly – it’s usually the other way around – Warner Bros.’ Man of Steel grossed more than $3 million above studio estimates released on Sunday, June 16. Directed by Zack Snyder (whose most recent directorial effort was the critical and box office dud Sucker Punch), and starring Henry Cavill (The Tudors, possibly the upcoming The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), the 2013 Superman reboot scored $116.6 million from 4,207 North American locations according to weekend box office actuals found at Box Office Mojo. Once Thursday evening figures are added, the $225 million-budgeted Man of Steel‘s domestic cume reached $128.7 million by Sunday evening.

Now, Man of Steel‘s adjusted $116.6 million doesn’t change the June Box-Office Record Chart in any way. The Superman reboot remains ahead of the former official June champ, the Tom Hanks-, Tim Allen-voiced Toy Story 3‘s $110.3 million (approximately $111 million adjusted for inflation).

By the same token, Man of Steel remains behind the inflation-adjusted figures of Alfonso Cuarón’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, and which collected $93.7 million in June 2004 – or about $120 million in 2013 dollars.

Man of Steel also remains behind Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, and Josh Duhamel, the Transformers sequel pulled in $127.8 million (approximately $136 million today) in its first three days out – Wednesday to Friday – in late June 2009.

And as pointed out yesterday, Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill’s Superman reboot currently holds the title of Record-Breaking Non-Sequel at the Domestic Box Office in June.

Superman now (sort of) ahead of Spider-Man, but still trailing Iron Man

Not factoring in inflation, Man of Steel now boasts the second (not fourth) biggest opening weekend ever for a non-sequel at the U.S. and Canada box office. The 2013 Superman reboot is behind only Gary Ross / Jennifer Lawrence / Josh Hutcherson’s The Hunger Games ($152.5 million). However, once inflation is taken into account – as it always should – Man of Steel trails Sam Raimi / Tobey Maguire / Kirsten Dunst’s Spider-Man ($114.8 million in 2002; about $157 million adjusted) by a wide margin. (Whether or not inflation is factored in, Tim Burton / Johnny Depp / Mia Wasikowska’s Alice in Wonderland, which raked in $116.1 million in March 2010, has likely fallen behind Man of Steel.)

And finally, Man of Steel remains far behind Shane Black / Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man 3, which opened with $174.14 million in early May 2013. Also, in number of ticket sales, the gap separating the original Iron Man from Man of Steel is now narrower – but it’s still there. Without the advantage of 3D surcharges, the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man debuted with $98.68 million (excluding $3.5 million from Thursday previews) in May 2008 – or $109 million today.

Henry Cavill leads Man of Steel cast

Besides Henry Cavill – who a few years ago “lost” the roles of Edward Cullen and James Bond to, respectively, Robert Pattinson and Daniel Craig – the Man of Steel cast features Amy Adams (The Master), Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind), Kevin Costner (JFK), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), Diane Lane (Unfaithful), and Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do with It),

Also: Ayelet Zurer, Dylan Sprayberry, Antje Traue, Christopher Meloni, Cooper Timberline, Harry Lennix, Mackenzie Gray, Richard Cretone, Richard Schiff, and Michael Kelly.

David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises) was credited for the Man of Steel screenplay. Christopher Nolan is one of the producers of the Superman reboot.

June 16, p.m.

Newsman Laurence Fishburne and journalist Amy Adams are appalled by General Zod’s Man of Steel box office hype

Man of Steel weekend box office: June record (not really) broken by Superman 2013 reboot

Extra! Extra! Man of Steel Breaks June Box-Office Record! That’s what most publications the world over have been heralding today. Man of Steel, of course, is the latest Superman reboot – directed by Zack Snyder (300, Sucker Punch), and starring Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Immortals) as Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman. The June box office referred to is the domestic one, as in the United States and Canada. As for the word “record” … Well, it apparently means all sorts of different things to all sorts of different hype-makers and to those who blindly embrace the hype and help to spread it.

According to studio estimates, this June 14-16 weekend, Man of Steel took in $113.08 million from 4,207 North American theaters – 3,357 of which 3D locations. A lowly 41 percent of the gross came from 3D locations. After adding $12 million from Thursday evening shows, the 2013 Superman reboot has a cume of $125.08 million in North America.

The Man of Steel weekend figure ($113.08 million), which includes $9 million from Thursday midnight shows, is (almost) smack between the low and high ends of my prediction published yesterday (see further below): $110-$115 million. But who cares about accurate predictions? What matters are box office records. Has Man of Steel broken the June box office record in North America or not? Well…

Big Superman vs. Little Talking Toys

Officially, Disney / Pixar’s Lee Unkrich-directed, Tom Hanks-, Tim Allen-voiced Toy Story 3 holds the title of The Movie with the Biggest Opening Weekend in June in North America. Or rather, held. The generally well-received animated feature grossed $110.3 million in early June 2010. Man of Steel grossed (an estimated) $113.08 million; in other words: Superman has kicked little talking-toy ass. The June box office truly belongs to him – of course, as long as the studio box office estimate is on target.

But not so fast, Superman! To the best of my knowledge, Krypton never suffered from inflation woes, but ask Planet Earth denizen Clark Kent and you’ll discover that inflation is very much a fact of life in these parts.

Big Superman vs. Little Harry Potter

Adjusted for inflation, Toy Story 3‘s approximately $111 million still trails Man of Steel, but … Alfonso Cuarón’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, took in $93.68 million in June 2004. And that represents about $120 million in 2013 dollars – with way fewer IMAX screenings and without box-office-inflating 3D surcharges. In other words: the bespectacled June weekend box office superhero easily remains little Harry Potter, not big and brawny Clark Kent.

Big Superman vs. Big Talking Toys

There’s more: whether or not you choose to factor in inflation, the blockbuster that holds the First Three Days in June Box-Office Record remains Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, and more (and way bigger) talking toys, Bay’s Transformers sequel scored $127.8 million, or approximately $136 million today, from opening-day Wednesday to Friday in late June 2009.

Superman fans, don’t despair! All is not lost: Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill’s Superman reboot can still claim the title of record-breaking non-sequel at the domestic box office in the month of June.

Now, what if we add the $12 million Man of Steel earned from Thursday evening shows? However absurd and dishonest, the 2013 Superman reboot would then be ahead of both Toy Story 3 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in adjusted box office grosses. However, Man of Steel would still trail Harry Potter in number of tickets sold, while also trailing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen whether or not inflation is taken into account.

Also worth noting is that Man of Steel, whether or not inflation is factored in, had the fourth biggest opening ever for a non-sequel at the domestic box office. The Superman reboot trails only Gary Ross / Jennifer Lawrence / Liam Hemsworth’s The Hunger Games ($152.53 million), Tim Burton / Johnny Depp / Mia Wasikowska’s Alice in Wonderland ($116.1 million), and Sam Raimi / Tobey Maguire / Kirsten Dunst’s Spider-Man ($114.84 million).

Man of Steel Zack Snyder

Man of Steel box office: Zack Snyder Superman 2013 reboot trailing Iron Man in ticket sales

According to studio estimates, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel will have grossed $125.08 million by Sunday evening. Whether or not you buy into the “June box office record” hype, the 2013 Superman movie starring Henry Cavill currently boasts the second-biggest opening of the year, trailing only one other superhero flick: Shane Black / Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man 3, which earned $174.14 million in early May. Note: The above figures for both Man of Steel and Iron Man 3 include Thursday evening shows. (Image: Superman 2013 director Zack Snyder on the Man of Steel set.)

For comparison’s sake: without the box-office-inflating advantages of 3D surcharges and excluding $3.5 million earned from Thursday previews, the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man scored $98.68 million on its opening weekend in May 2008. That represents about $109 million today. If Man of Steel‘s Thursday screenings are deducted from the film’s box office total, Paramount’s Iron Man has easily remained ahead of Warner Bros.’ latest Superman reboot in number of tickets sold.

Man of Steel international box office

Internationally, Man of Steel‘s weekend cume was a highly impressive $71.6 million from 24 territories according to studio estimates found at Deadline.com. That figure includes $17.1 million in the United Kingdom, trailing only Iron Man 3 so far this year; $9.8 million in Mexico, trailing Iron Man 3 and Fast & Furious 6; $8.8 million in South Korea; $5.6 million in The Philippines, the third biggest opening in that country (not adjusted for inflation / currency fluctuations); and $3.5 million in India. The $225 million-budgeted 2013 Superman reboot’s worldwide total currently stands at $196.68 million.

As for those concerned about Man of Steel‘s continuing popularity overseas because the Warner Bros. / Legendary Pictures property features a “quintessentially American” superhero, don’t waste your time. Really, is Superman any more American than, huh, Captain America? Or Iron Man? Or The Incredible Hulk? Or Batman? Or Thor? Hm … Scratch the last one.

Anyhow, people outside the United States surely don’t give a damn about Clark Kent’s (fake) all-American origins. What matters are the 3D look, the special effects, the bombast, the nine-figure marketing campaign. That’s why Man of Steel will end up a much bigger blockbuster internationally than in the U.S.

Man of Steel reviews

Man of Steel has a mediocre 54 percent approval rating and 6.2/10 average rating among Rotten Tomatoes‘ top critics. Bryan Singer / Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns (2006) has a 74 percent approval rating and 6.9/10 average rating. Richard Donner / Christopher Reeve’s Superman (1978) has a 75 percent approval rating and a 7.4/10 average.

Henry Cavill Superman: Man of Steel vs. Superman movies of years past

As mentioned in our previous posts, the $225 million-budgeted Man of Steel grossed an estimated $113.08 million this past weekend, including $9 million from Thursday midnight screenings. Directed by Zack Snyder, the 2013 Superman reboot stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman. (Image: Henry Cavill in Man of Steel.)

Released in late June 2006, Bryan Singer’s $270 million-budgeted Superman Returns, starring Brandon Routh as Superman, debuted with $52.53 million, or about $64 million today. Even taking into account that Superman Returns lacked the box-office-boosting advantage of 3D surcharges, Man of Steel is obviously a much bigger hit than its immediate predecessor.

Superman Returns eventually reached $200.08 million in North America, plus a slightly more modest $191 million internationally. Man of Steel will not only easily surpass Superman Returns at the domestic box office, but it’ll also earn at the very least twice as much as Superman Returns internationally. As explained in more detail in the previous post, the Zack Snyder / Henry Cavill Superman reboot has already taken in $71.6 million from only 24 international territories.

Directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve in the title role, Superman totaled $134.21 million at the U.S. and Canada box office in 1978/79, or about $455 million today. Weekend results are impossible to compare, as the original big-screen Superman opened at 508 locations (vs. more than 4,000 for Man of Steel), bringing in $7.46 million, or about $25 million today.

Internationally, as per Boxofficemojo.com Superman soared to an astonishing (for the time) $166 million (about $530 million today). How come? Well, one good reason is that the 1978 Warner Bros. release was the first megabudget superhero movie ever made. Superman cost a reported $55 million (about $196 million in 2013), of which a widely publicized $3 million went to two-time Oscar winner Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront, The Godfather) as a paycheck for three days of work as Superman’s father, Jor-El.

Directed by Richard Lester, the $54 million-budgeted Superman II (1981) cumed at $108.18 million in North America. Lester’s Superman III (1983), featuring Richard Pryor as a clownish villain, took in only $59.95 million domestically. Directed by Sidney J. Furie, the cheapo ($17 million budget) Cannon Films-produced, Warner Bros.-distributed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) was a total bomb: $15.68 million in the U.S. and Canada.

Henry Cavill toplines Man of Steel cast

Besides Henry Cavill, the Man of Steel cast features two Oscar winners: Russell Crowe (Gladiator) as Jor-El, and Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves) as Jonathan Kent. In addition to four Oscar nominees: Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) as the evil General Zod, Amy Adams (Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter, The Master) as reporter Lois Lane, Diane Lane (Unfaithful) as Martha Kent, and Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do with It) as newsman Perry White.

Also in the Man of Steel cast: Ayelet Zurer (as Lara Lor-Van), Dylan Sprayberry (as the adolescent Clark Kent), Antje Traue (as Faora-Ul), Christopher Meloni (as Colonel Nathan Hardy), Cooper Timberline (as the 9-year-old Clark Kent), Harry Lennix, Michael Kelly, Mackenzie Gray, Richard Schiff, and Richard Cretone.

David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises) was credited for the Man of Steel screenplay, from a story by Goyer and Batman trilogy filmmaker Christopher Nolan. Nolan is also credited as one of Man of Steel‘s producers.

Henry Cavill: Edward Cullen, James Bond – but not Batman – among ‘lost’ roles

Superman Henry Cavill was Twilight book series author Stephenie Meyer’s first choice for the role of the lovestruck vampire Edward Cullen. By 2007, however, Cavill was deemed too old. Robert Pattinson ultimately played Edward opposite Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan, thus becoming an international sensation.

Additionally, a few years ago Henry Cavill was a James Bond contender. Theoretically, he could once again become a Bond candidate after (the highly successful) Daniel Craig’s “retirement.” Tales about Cavill having been a contender to play Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman don’t seem to be based on fact. Christian Bale eventually landed the role.

Although best known for his TV role as Charles Brandon in The Tudors, opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Sarah Bolger, Henry Cavill has been featured in ten other movies besides Man of Steel. Among those are Mabrouk El Mechri’s In the Cold Light of Day, with Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver; Tarsem Singh’s Immortals, with Freida Pinto and Kellan Lutz; Woody Allen’s Whatever Works, with Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood; Matthew Vaughn’s Stardust, with Claire Danes and Michelle Pfeiffer; Kevin Reynolds’ Tristan + Isolde, with James Franco and Sophia Myles; and Randal Kleiser’s Red Riding Hood, with Morgan Thompson and Lainie Kazan (not to be confused with Catherine Hardwicke’s 2011 flop starring Amanda Seyfried).

Next in line for Henry Cavill are possibly Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. – replacing Tom Cruise, and to co-star Armie Hammer, and The Great Wall, featuring Benjamin Walker and Zhang Ziyi.

Man of Steel weekend box office: Superman 2013 reboot may not break June opening-weekend domestic record

June 16 a.m.: Man of Steel may not break the North American June box office record this weekend, June 14-16. According to studio estimates found at Boxofficemojo.com, on Friday the 2013 Superman reboot directed by Zack Snyder (300, Sucker Punch), and starring Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Immortals) in the title role raked in a less-than-expected but still-quite-impressive $44.05 million from 4,207 venues – 3,357 of which 3D sites. That figure includes an estimated $9 million from Thursday midnight shows. Early (unofficial) estimates had Man of Steel grossing as much as $51 million on its first full day out.

Including late Thursday evening shows, Zack Snyder’s $225 million-budgeted Superman movie has taken in a grand total of $56.05 million at the U.S. and Canada box office.

Officially, Lee Unkrich’s Disney / Pixar-distributed, Tom Hanks-voiced Toy Story 3 holds the title of The Movie with the Biggest Opening Weekend in June in North America. The animated feature about the dangers faced by talking toys collected $110.3 million in early June 2010.

But in case you live on a planet where inflation is a fact of life, then that fact should always be taken into account. Adjusted for inflation, Toy Story 3‘s approximately $111 million gross actually trails Alfonso Cuarón’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, and which scored $93.68 million in June 2004, or about $120 million today.

Now, whether or not factoring in inflation, the movie that holds the first-three-days-in-June box office record is neither Toy Story 3 nor Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, and more talking toys, the Transformers sequel took in $127.8 million, or approximately $136 million today, from opening-day Wednesday to Friday in late June 2009.

Man of Steel’s Big Clark Kent vs. Little Harry Potter, and Big and Small Talking Toys

Both Clark Kent and Harry Potter are bespectacled, English-speaking heroes in blockbuster movie franchises or franchises-to-be based on literary works. One key difference between them is that Harry Potter has a British accent, whereas Clark Kent (even when played by the British-born Henry Cavill) has an American accent. Another is that Harry Potter, unlike Clark Kent’s Superman, doesn’t wear any sort of Halloween costume. A third is that Harry Potter is small and slight, while Clark Kent is big and brawny.

So, will the brawny Man of Steel beat little Harry Potter at the North American box office?

That seemed like a sure thing yesterday, when, according to early estimates found at Deadline.com, Man of Steel‘s Friday-to-Sunday gross was expected to reach nearly $125 million. But Deadline’s weekend estimates have now been dramatically downsized to somewhere between $105-$115 million. At Box Office Mojo, Ray Subers is expecting at least $120 million (and up to $140 million) – but he’s clearly adding Thursday’s $12 million take to those totals.

My own initial estimates (not including Thursday’s screenings) had been for the 2013 Superman reboot to score $115-$120 million. Barring a surprising Saturday surge and a phenomenal Sunday hold, I’m now predicting something closer to $110-$115 million, in addition to Thursday’s $12 million.

Man of Steel box office: June three-day record?

If I’m right, what does that mean in terms of June box office records? Well, if Man of Steel grosses $115 million, it’ll beat Toy Story 3‘s small toys, even taking inflation into account. However, little Harry Potter will top big Clark Kent once inflation is factored in – and certainly in number of tickets sold as well, as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban didn’t have the advantage of 3D surcharges.

Additionally, barring a box office miracle, Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill’s Superman movie will also trail Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen‘s big toys, even if ignoring inflation.

Needless to say, if Man of Steel ends up at the lower end of the scale, it’ll land behind Toy Story 3, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and the inflation-adjusted Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. But all is not lost: the Superman reboot could still claim to be the record-breaking non-sequel at the domestic box office in the month of June. (Remember, reboots such as Man of Steel aren’t sequels, they are originals – sort of.)

Feeling dazed and confused following all those what-ifs? Here’s one more to make your head spin faster than the planet of Krypton: if Man of Steel‘s Thursday evening showings are added to the weekend total, then the latest Superman’s Sunday evening cume may reach $122-127 million, thus beating Toy Story 3 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – but still landing behind Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, whether or not inflation is taken into account. Anyhow, bear in mind that the addition of Man of Steel‘s Thursday figures would have you comparing oranges and tangerines.

Henry Cavill Man of Steel to trail Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man 3

As long as it grosses at least $100 million by Sunday evening – and that’s a given – Zack Snyder / Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel will boast the second-biggest opening of 2013, behind only Shane Black / Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man 3, which collected $174.14 million in early May according to Box Office Mojo. As mentioned in the previous post, Man of Steel is expected to score anywhere between $115-$140 million. Note: Figures for both Man of Steel and Iron Man 3 include Thursday evening shows.

For comparison’s sake: without the advantage of box-office-inflating 3D surcharges and not including $3.5 million from Thursday evening screenings, the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man debuted with $98.68 million in May 2008, or about $109 million today. In other words, unless Man of Steel soars on the weekend proper, Paramount’s Iron Man will most likely remain ahead of Warner Bros.’s latest Superman reboot in number of tickets sold.

Internationally, Man of Steel‘s Friday cume was $25.9 million from 24 territories according to studio estimates found at Deadline.com. That figure includes $5.2 million in the United Kingdom, the biggest opening day in 2013 in that territory; $2.9 million in The Philippines, where Man of Steel broke historical opening-day records (not taking inflation, currency fluctuations into account); $2.8 million in Mexico; $2.8 million in South Korea; and $1.5 million in Taiwan.

Man of Steel vs. Superman Returns, Superman

Released in late June 2006, Bryan Singer / Brandon Routh’s $270 million-budgeted Superman Returns opened with $52.53 million, or approximately $64 million today. Even considering that Superman Returns lacked 3D surcharges, Man of Steel will clearly soar much higher than its immediate predecessor.

Superman Returns eventually cumed at $200.08 million in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to $191 million internationally. Man of Steel will easily surpass Superman Returns at the domestic box office in actual number of ticket sales. But the film’s real success story will likely take place outside North America.

Considering the incredibly fast growth of the international market in the last decade, expect Man of Steel to earn at the very least twice as much as Superman Returns internationally. And remember: without the international market, $225 million-budgeted movies such as Man of Steel – not including marketing and distribution expenses – would in all likelihood never, ever get made.

Directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve in the title role, Superman cumed at $134.21 million at the domestic box office in 1978/79, or approximately $455 million today. Weekend results are impossible to compare, as the original big-screen Superman opened at only 508 locations, raking in $7.46 million, or about $25.33 million in 2013 dollars.

Internationally, Superman scored an astonishing (for the time) $166 million (approx. $530 million today), according to Box Office Mojo. If that figure is accurate, bear in mind that the 1978 Warner Bros. release was the first big-budget superhero movie ever made. Superman cost a reported $55 million (about $196 million today), of which $3 million went to Marlon Brando as a paycheck for his three days on the Krypton set.

Henry Cavill: Edward Cullen, James Bond – but not Batman

Superman Henry Cavill was Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s initial choice to play the vampire Edward Cullen. However, by 2007 Cavill was considered too old to be believable as the teenage-looking centenarian vampire; the role eventually turned Robert Pattinson into an international sensation. Also, Cavill was a potential James Bond candidate – and could possibly become a contender again once Daniel Craig “retires” following the upcoming Skyfall sequel. Stories about Cavill being considered for the role of Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman are apparently just that: stories.

Henry Cavill’s other movies include Tarsem Singh’s Immortals, Woody Allen’s Whatever Works, Matthew Vaughn’s Stardust, Kevin Reynolds’ Tristan and Isolde (supporting James Franco), and Tim Fywell’s I Capture the Castle.

June 15, early a.m.

Henry Cavill as Clark Kent in Man of Steel

Man of Steel box office: Superman 2013 reboot likely to break June domestic record – sort of

Man of Steel will quite likely – sort of – break the June record at the North American box office this weekend, according to early, rough estimates found at Deadline.com. Things started out quite well for the $225 million-budgeted 2013 Superman reboot directed by Zack Snyder (300, Sucker Punch), and starring Henry Cavill (The Tudors) as Clark Kent a.k.a. Superman: on Thursday evening at the U.S. and Canada box office, Man of Steel grossed an estimated $12 million, plus $9 million at Thursday midnight shows. That’s quite a bit better than Shane Black / Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man 3, which opened with $15.6 million from Thursday evening / midnight shows in early May.

The current opening-weekend-in-June record officially belongs to Lee Unkrich’s Disney / Pixar-distributed, Tom Hanks-voiced Toy Story 3, which scored $110.3 million in early June 2010, or approximately $111 million adjusted for inflation. However, once inflation is taken into account (as it always should) Toy Story 3 is actually behind Alfonso Cuarón / Daniel Radcliffe’s fantasy Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which collected $93.68 million in 2004, or about $120 million today.

Clark Kent vs. Harry Potter

Also worth noting is that the current first-three-days-in-June record belongs to Michael Bay / Shia LaBeouf / Megan Fox’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: $127.8 million, or about $136 million today, from Wednesday to Friday. So, will Man of Steel beat not only the zany Zod, but also big and small talking toys – and little Clark Kent-ish Harry Potter?

Well, that depends on a couple of things. I had predicted that the 2013 Superman reboot would bring in $115-$120 million at the domestic box office this weekend, but according to Deadline.com’s unnamed sources, Man of Steel, currently fighting evil at 4,207 theaters (including 3,357 3D venues), is expected to take in $51 million on Friday and $124.4 million from Friday to Sunday. If those early, rough estimates are on target, Man of Steel will beat both Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Toy Story 3‘s small toys, even taking inflation into account. However, Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill’s Superman movie will still trail Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen‘s big toys, even without taking inflation into account – and it will trail the Harry Potter movie in number of tickets sold.

Now, if Man of Steel‘s Thursday evening showings are added to the weekend total, then the latest Superman’s Sunday evening cume will reach $136.4 million, thus beating Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, even if inflation is taken into account. But remember, that would be like comparing apples to pineapples.

Man of Steel to trail Iron Man 3

Also of note, Man of Steel will have the second-biggest opening of 2013, behind only Iron Man 3‘s $174.14 million, which has the advantage of being an official sequel. Though, in all fairness, Man of Steel sort of feels like a sequel, considering that the last 35 years have witnessed the release of no less than half a dozen Superman movies. For the record, without the advantage of 3D surcharges, Iron Man debuted with $98.68 million in May 2008, or about $109 million today.

Note: Official Friday box office estimates come out on Saturday morning. Weekend box office estimates will be released on Sunday morning. Weekend box office actuals come out on Monday. On Saturday, I’ll be updating Man of Steel‘s projected box office trajectory.

Man of Steel vs. Superman Returns

Released in late June 2006, Bryan Singer / Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns opened with $52.53 million, or about $64 million today. Even taking into account that Superman Returns lacked the advantage of box-office-inflating 3D surcharges, Man of Steel will clearly soar much higher.

Superman Returns cumed at $200.08 million in North America, in addition to $191 million internationally. Considering the exponential growth of the international market in the last decade, expect Man of Steel to earn much more outside of than in North America. Remember, without the international market, movies that cost $225 million (not including marketing and distribution expenses) would likely never, ever get made.

Directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve in the title role, Superman cumed at $134.21 million at the domestic box office in 1978/79, or approximately $455 million today. Weekend results are impossible to compare, because the original big-screen Superman opened at only 508 locations.

Man of Steel reviews

Man of Steel has a mediocre 54 percent approval rating and 6.2/10 average rating among Rotten Tomatoes’ top critics. Superman Returns has a 74 percent approval rating and 6.9/10 average rating.

Henry Cavill, I should add, was author Stephenie Meyer’s initial choice for the role of Edward Cullen in what turned out to be the Twilight movie franchise. Cavill was by then too old to play Edward, a role that eventually made Robert Pattinson an international star. Additionally, Cavill was at one point a potential James Bond – and who knows, may become a contender again once Daniel Craig drops out.

June 14

Man of Steel box office: Will latest Superman reboot break June domestic record?

Directed by Zack Snyder, and starring Henry Cavill as Superman, Man of Steel had, as expected, a strong opening at the domestic box office on Thursday evening. The latest Superman reboot collected an estimated $12 million, in addition to another $9 million at midnight showings for a grand total of $21 million. For comparison’s sake: Starring Robert Downey Jr, Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 debuted with $15.6 million from Thursday evening / midnight showings in early May.

Now, to compare Man of Steel‘s Thursday late evening $21 million take to the midnight box office grosses of, for instance, Gary Ross / Jennifer Lawrence’s The Hunger Games ($19.74 million), Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse ($30.1 million), Christopher Nolan / Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight ($18.5 million), or David Yates / Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ($43.5 million) would be absurd as none of those titles had the advantage of late Thursday evening showtimes. Additionally, let’s not forget that The Hunger Games, Eclipse, and The Dark Knight didn’t have the advantage of 3D surcharges, either.

Man of Steel box office: June record?

Will the $225 million-budgeted Man of Steel really break the June record? Well, possibly. Lee Unkrich’s Toy Story 3, without the advantage of late Thursday showtimes, collected $110.3 million in early June 2010. That represents approximately $111 million in 2013 dollars. The previous year, Michael Bay / Shia LaBeouf / Megan Fox’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen had an even bigger first three days, $127.8 million (about $136 million today), but from Wednesday-Friday.

The Hunger Games’ midnight debut was the aforementioned $19.74 million, helping the dystopian adventure tale to gross $152.53 million in its first three days out in North America in March 2012. In other words, Man of Steel could theoretically reach up to $150 million. But is that likely?

Man of Steel distributor Warner Bros. is being modest, “expecting” a measly $80+ million by Sunday evening. No one should take that ridiculously low figure seriously. According to Deadline.com, “rival studios” are expecting $95-$100 million, though that seems pretty modest as well. At Box Office Mojo, Ray Subers is predicting $139 million.

Once again, Man of Steel could theoretically fly that high or even higher, but considering the film’s unenthusiastic reviews, which may be reflected on weaker word-of-mouth coming out of the tongues of non-fanboy moviegoers, I’d expect the Zack Snyder / Henry Cavill movie to gross closer to $115-$120 million.

Man of Steel currently has a mediocre 54 percent approval rating and 6.2/10 average rating among Rotten Tomatoes’ top critics. Warner Bros.’ previous Superman reboot, Bryan Singer / Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns, has a 74 percent approval rating and 6.9/10 average rating.

For the record, Superman Returns opened with $52.5 million in late June 2006, or approximately $64 million adjusted for inflation. But remember that Superman Returns lacked the box-office-boosting advantage of 3D surcharges.

Directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve in the title role, Superman cumed at $134.21 million at the domestic box office in 1978/79, or approximately $455 million today.

June 12

Fast & Furious 6 cars, Star Trek: Into Darkness spaceship pass $200 million milestone at North America box office

According to weekend box office studio estimates released Sunday morning (June 9), two blockbusters passed the $200 million milestone in North America this past weekend: Justin Lin’s actioner Fast & Furious 6, starring fast and furious cars, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, and Vin Diesel, and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness, starring the star-trekking spaceship Enterprise, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Benedict Cumberbatch. However, box office actuals released on Monday revealed that Star Trek: Into Darkness studio Paramount had been a bit too optimistic. (Image: one of the Fast & Furious 6 cars, with Vin Diesel at the wheel.)

At no. 2 this past weekend, Fast & Furious 6 added $19.62 million (down 44 percent), cuming at $202.81 million according to figures found at Box Office Mojo. Including Monday figures, the worldwide cume for the $160 million-budgeted sixth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise is an estimated $586.66 million. Back in 2011, Fast Five cumed with $209.83 million in the U.S. and Canada and $626.13 million worldwide. Fast & Furious 6 will be able to beat both figures before its box office run is over.

According to the most recent Box Office Mojo updates (June 9), Fast & Furious 6 top international markets are the UK with $35.34 million, Mexico with $31.53 million, Russia / CIS with $28.58 million (as of June 2), Germany with $24.98 million, France with $21.5 million, and Brazil with $18.43 million.

Star Trek: Into Darkness box office: $200 million a day later

After adding $11.42 million (down 32 percent) at no. 6 on the domestic box office chart, the $190 million-budgeted Star Trek: Into Darkness reached $199.86 million on Sunday – slightly short of the $200 million milestone. Needless to say, that milestone was passed on Monday, when J.J. Abrams’ sci-fier reached $201.2 million. Star Trek: Into Darkness passed $200 million on Day 26, whereas Fast & Furious 6 reached that milestone on Day 17.

The worldwide cume for the Star Trek sequel currently stands at $377.6 million. Back in 2009, Star Trek (without the advantage of 3D surcharges) cumed with $257.73 million in the U.S. and Canada and $385.68 million worldwide. The good news: Star Trek: Into Darkness will easily surpass the original at the worldwide box office. The not-so-good news: Star Trek: Into Darkness may lack enough stamina to surpass the original at the domestic box office, and will likely trail Star Trek by a wide margin in actual number of tickets sold.

By far, Star Trek: Into Darkness’ biggest international market is the UK with $37.14 million, followed by China with $25.87 million, Germany with $19.34 million, Australia with $14.62 million, and Russia / CIS with $10.21 million. Star Trek: Into Darkness has yet to open in Brazil, France, and Japan.

Fast & Furious 6, Star Trek: Into Darkness cast

Besides Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, and Dwayne Johnson, the Fast & Furious 6 cast features Jordana Brewster, Luke Evans, Avatar‘s Michelle Rodriguez, Transformers: Dark of the Moon‘s Tyrese Gibson, Elsa Pataky, Sung Kang, Ludacris, Gina Carano, Clara Paget, Gal Gadot, Matthew Stirling, Johannes Taslim, and Thure Lindhardt.

Besides Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Benedict Cumberbatch, the Star Trek: Into Darkness cast features Bruce Greenwood, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Noel Clarke, Peter Weller, Alice Eve, and cameos by Chris Hemsworth and Star Trek veteran Leonard Nimoy.

One of the Fast & Furious 6 cars, with Vin Diesel at the wheel photo: Universal Pictures.

The Purge box office

Writer-director James DeMonaco’s micro-budgeted, R-rated The Purge movie easily topped the domestic box office this past weekend despite (or perhaps because of) its inane premise: in a peaceful world, a family is held hostage during a 12-hour period when every single form of crime is made legal. Made for a reported $3 million, according to Box Office Mojo The Purge grossed $34.05 million – possibly as a result of poor word of mouth, down a hefty $2 million from Sunday estimates released by distributor Universal. The Purge received a C score from opening-weekend audiences, according to CinemaScore.

Now, bear in mind that The Purge may have cost only $3 million to make, but Universal Pictures surely spent quite a bit more than that – probably something in the low eight-figure range – to market the film. Paranormal Activity 2, for one, also cost $3 million, but Paramount spent $25 million marketing their micro-budget Halloween 2010 flick. It’s no coincidence that The Purge producer Jason Blum is also responsible for the Paranormal Activity movies.

And as further evidence that moviegoers are eager for quality movies – at least on opening weekends – box office sleeper hit The Purge has a 21 percent approval rating among Rotten Tomatoes‘ top critics. The Purge movie cast includes Ethan Hawke (who had previously collaborated with Blum on Sinister), Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield, Adelaide Kane, and Tony Oller.

Box office: The Internship is a huge disappointment

Toplining Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, the stars of the 2005 comedy blockbuster Wedding Crashers, Shawn Levy’s The Internship opened with a highly disappointing $17.32 million – nearly $650,000 less than 20th Century Fox’s already disappointing $18 million Sunday estimate. For comparison’s sake: without taking inflation into account, the David Dobkin-directed Wedding Crashers debuted with $33.9 million. The Internship cost a reported $58 million, not including marketing and distribution expenses, vs. Wedding Crashers’ $40 million budget.

You might have thought that there would have been stronger interest in watching a movie about two ageing Google interns as that company is in the news as one of the mega-corporations involved in the U.S. government’s latest domestic spying scandal. Well, think again. If Sunday’s Google Trends is to be believed, “NBA” generated five times more interest (500,000 searches) than “Edward Snowden” (100,000 searches) – the whistleblower who, via the British daily The Guardian, has put to shame the Obama administration and the U.S. congress.

Anyhow, The Internship is just one more box office underperformer in the careers of Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. In that regard, the film’s underwhelming domestic opening-weekend grosses shouldn’t have been at all surprising. Owen Wilson’s last personal box office hit was Marley & Me, co-starring Jennifer Aniston back in 2008; Vince Vaughn’s last was Couples Retreat, co-starring Jason Bateman and Jon Favreau, in 2009.

The Internship to follow The Dilemma?

Here’s another comparison: Starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, Ron Howard’s The Dilemma opened with $17.81 million, cuming at a dismal $48.47 million in North America. The international figure (possibly incomplete) was even worse: $21.24 million. In other words, don’t expect The Internship to find more willing patrons outside the U.S. and Canada.

Besides Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, The Internship cast includes Rose Byrne, Aasif Mandvi, Max Minghella, Josh Brener, Dylan O’Brien, and Tyra Sircar. In addition to co-starring in The Internship, Vince Vaughn co-wrote the film’s screenplay, and is credited for the story on which it’s based; he is also listed as one of the film’s producers.

Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill Man of Steel movie images: Warner Bros.