Batman v Superman Opens Strong

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice brought in a worldwide box office total of $424.1 million and $166.1 million in North America, setting records both domestically and abroad when it opened globally Easter weekend.

April 6, 2018

DC Entertainment movie sets box office records despite poor reviews.

The superhero film marked Warner Bros. Pictures' second-biggest opening weekend ever, just behind

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

, which brought in $169 in the U.S. on its opening weekend in 2011.

The number gives the film the title of No. 7 opening of all time and the No. 4 superhero film behind Marvel’s

The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron

and

Iron Man 3

, not accounting for inflation,

according to

The Hollywood Reporter

Meanwhile, overseas, the film was the No. 1 superhero adaptation of all time and the fourth biggest film for any title,

according to

The Hollywood Reporter

“We are thrilled with the phenomenal numbers for

Batman v Superman

, which has broken records both in the U.S. and around the world,”

says Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president, worldwide distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. “The results are a testament to the enduring popularity of these superheroes and to the dedicated filmmakers and talented cast. Our excellent date allows us to take advantage of the spring holidays with a five-week window until the next superhero film. Based on the strong word of mouth by fans, we can look forward to a long and prosperous run.”

Despite the film’s box office success,

Batman v Superman

garnered less than perfect reviews including a 29 percent critic approval score and 73 percent audience approval score on

Rotten Tomatoes

, as well as a 44/100 on

Metacritic

However, according to

The Hollywood Reporter

, the

film still garnered box office success because of five key factors

The film marks the first time Batman and Superman have appeared on the big screen together (and the film debut of Wonder Woman)
The movie opened everywhere at the same time, including in China.
The number of “fanboys” in attendance–according to exit polls reported by
THR
, more than 66 percent of ticket buyers were male and 63 percent of the audience was between the ages of 18 and 34.
Big event titles–According to
THR,
with the release of other top brands such as
Jurassic World, Star Wars
and
Deadpool
, it appears people are getting into a habit of turning out for big event titles.
The release date–
THR
reports that
Batman v Superman
was initially supposed to open on May 6, but was moved to avoid competition with
Captain America: Civil War
and to capitalize on the Easter holiday weekend.

In addition to the movie’s international success,

Batman v Superman

is also

supported by a massive, international consumers products program

. Warner Bros. Consumer Products, in partnership with DC Entertainment, have tapped licensees such as Mattel, LEGO, Rubie’s Costume Company, Scholastic, Bioworld, Sakar International, Under Armour and many more.