‘Batman v Superman’ shrugs off bad reviews with $424.1M global opening
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” shrugged off lousy reviews to debut with an estimated $170.1 million in North America, the sixth-best weekend opening of all-time. It racked up the fourth-biggest global opening in history as well, earning a massive $424.1 million after debuting in almost every major foreign country over the weekend.
According to Variety magazine, the superhero matchup launched to $254 million overseas from 66 markets, including China, where it grossed $57.3 million, the best ever debut for a Warner Bros. release. The enthusiastic response from foreign crowds is good news for the studio, which is counting on “Batman v Superman” to kick off a universe of movie sequels and spinoffs featuring DC Comics characters.
The stakes were high for the Warner Bros. superhero showdown, which cost $250 million to make and some $150 million to market. But the studio’s bid to kick start a DC Comics universe to rival Marvel’s empire fought against skepticism over Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman and a barrage of bad reviews earlier in the week.
Audiences gave the film a mediocre B CinemaScore, which suggested some moviegoers agreed with critics. But the allure of seeing two of the most iconic superheroes battle was enough to set a new record for the best pre-summer debut.
The film dominated Easter weekend with the kind of blockbuster performance usually reserved for Memorial Day or July 4th. In second was the Disney Animation hit “Zootopia,” with $23.1 million in its fourth week of domestic release. The go-to family release of the season, it has earned nearly $700 million globally. Universal’s “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,” a sequel to the 2002 hit romantic comedy, debuted with $18.1 million, benefiting by drawing female audiences against the male-centric “Batman v Superman.”
If the estimate Sunday holds, “Batman v Superman” will be Warner Bros.’ best opening ever, besting “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2” ($169.2 million). It also supersedes previous Batman films like “The Dark Knight Rises” ($160.9 million) and “The Dark Knight” ($158.4 million).
The $27.7 million debut is a record-breaker for the Easter weekend slot. “Furious 7” previously held that title with its $15.8 million launch last year.
But it’s still a far cry from the biggest Thursday night opening ever. That distinction goes to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which brought in $57 million on a Thursday night in December.
It also marks the first time that the lasso-wielding crusader Wonder Woman appears in a major live-action film. And that is all a setup for her own stand-alone feature coming in 2017.
Tasked with playing the Amazonian warrior is 30-year-old Gal Gadot, a model who served as a combat instructor in the Israeli army before she stumbled into acting, and who had roles in the fifth and sixth of those “Fast & Furious” movies as the ill-fated fan favorite Gisele.
Like many casting decisions involving beloved characters, hers was not met warmly. Many complained that the former Miss Israel was simply too thin. An early photo of her in the gladiator-inspired Wonder Woman costume assuaged some concerns. By that point, Gadot had gone through nine months of rigorous training focusing on martial arts and sword work to get into Wonder Woman shape.
“Being an actress, my responsibility is to not pay too much attention to all the noise around me, but to pay attention to the script, to the director, and protect the character,” Gadot told reporters recently.
At 5-foot-10, Gadot is a striking presence in person and on the screen. In the film, seen first as Diana Prince, her outrageous cool and skintight asymmetrical frocks turn the heads of many characters – Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne included.
“Gal is so mysterious and sexy and interesting and strong that whenever she’s on-screen I think there’s definitely a projection for men who think, ‘Well I want to flirt with her,’ ” Affleck said. “I think she provokes in the audience the desire to be flirted with.”
While her introduction might be predicated on her glamorous image, her power is what makes her stand out, and “Batman v Superman” gives a little preview of her fighting skills, too.
“She brings something particular, something statuesque, something otherworldly to the character,” said Henry Cavill, who plays Superman. “It’s remarkable to see.”
“Batman v Superman” is a tease of an introduction to the character whose story will be explored more in “Wonder Woman,” which is currently in production for release next year. Gadot stars alongside Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen and Chris Pine.
“I think it’s about time to have a strong female energy projected into the world,” Pine said earlier this year.
Not only is it Wonder Woman’s first film, but it’s also the first major film of this new era of interconnected superhero franchises to focus on a woman – beating “Captain Marvel” to theaters by a year.
As for Gadot, although she’s happy to be one of the first, she doesn’t want to be the only one either.
“The more the merrier,” she said. “There’s plenty of room for many more women to come.”
Lindsey Bahr contributed reporting.
This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 9:56 AM with the headline "‘Batman v Superman’ shrugs off bad reviews with $424.1M global opening."