So we all know Superman’s main weakness is Kryptonite. After this past weekend we discover one more thing that can kick Kal-L’s butt – PIRATES!
Captain Jack Sparrow didn’t need a major holiday week to take the title as the box office king. In just three days Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest took in $132 million, toppling Spider-Man’s $114.8 million record set in 2002. Superman Returns, while retaining the number 2 positon for the weekend, dropped a staggering 58% only earning an estimated $21.9 million. Still the 12 day $141.7 million Superman Return’s has brought in is impressive. Warner Bros. execs have said the initial week of Superman Returns was much better than Batman Begins. I wonder what they’ll say now knowing Batman Begins only dropped 43% in its second week.
With the heavy lean toward “chick flick”, lack of intense action, plot holes larger than the mouth of Pirates’ Kraken, and a glut of other superhero themed films already out there, Superman is struggling. Last week I estimated a 20% drop in box office revenues per week for five weeks. At this rate if Superman Returns doesn’t turn around quickly, the $250 million cost will barely be recouped before the flick leaves the silver screen.
One saving grace might be the the comic book fan, who when attending the San Diego Comic-Con, who will surely get pumped up by the Warner Bros./DC PR machine. If not, Bryan Singer may want to wear protective gear or stand behind glass during his Q&A with audience members during the Friday July 21, session.
11:00-12:30 Warner Bros. Pictures Presents— In person, stars Hilary Swank and Anna Sophia Robb, director Stephen Hopkins, and producer Joel Silver of The Reaping, a supernatural thriller in which Hilary plays a world-renowned expert in disproving religious phenomena. But when she investigates a small Louisiana town that is suffering from what appear to be the Biblical plagues, she realizes that science cannot explain what is happening. Plus: Bryan Singer Returns! Please welcome long-time friend of Comic-Con, director Bryan Singer, to answer your questions about Superman Returns and give you an idea of what’s next. Plus: more news and special promo items will be given to all who attend. Hall H
So how ’bout it readers, will Superman soar, or crash to the ground?