“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” will skyrocket to north of $150 million in its much-anticipated opening in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, industry analysts projected on Tuesday.
Warner Bros., which developed and is distributing the DC Comics superhero epic starring Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader and Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel is more conservative and sees a domestic debut of between $100 million and $140 million. It will open in 4,200 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Domestic numbers in that range will mean the global haul for the weekend could go as high as $350 million, since the studio is projecting roughly $200 million for the film’s concurrent rollout in 65 foreign markets.
“Batman v Superman” has a good shot at shattering the box office record for a March opening held by “The Hunger Games,” which debuted to $152 million in 2012. The best domestic opening ever is the $247.9 million domestic launch of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” three months ago.
Previews begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at the majority of the theaters where it will be playing. The returns from those shows will swell the Friday grosses into which they’re added, and the entire weekend should get a major boost from 3D screenings at roughly 3,500 locations and showings at nearly 400 IMAX locations, both of which bring markups.
Zack Snyder directed “Batman v Superman” from a script he wrote with David Goyer and Chris Terrio. He also helmed “Man of Steel,” which opened to $116 million in 2014. The last Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises,” opened to $168 million in a 2012 debut marred by the Aurora, Colorado theater massacre.
With a $250 million production budget, “Batman v Superman” represents a major financial wager by Warner Bros. But the stakes are in fact much higher, because this is the first of 10 DC Comics-based movies that Warner Bros. has scheduled through 2020 — an answer to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe slate — and will establish the momentum for the films that follow.
The next DC Comics film on that slate is the David Ayer-directed “Suicide Squad,” set for Aug. 5. After that, “Wonder Woman” is scheduled for June of 2017.
The vital signs for “Batman v Superman” are very strong, suggesting Warner Bros. marketers have timed their campaign well. Its Twitter profile is larger than that of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” at a similar stage and it’s outpacing the Marvel sequel by a 3-1 margin on Facebook. It was dominating advance sales at MovieTickets.com and Fandango, where it is the best-selling superhero movie ever.
The biggest concern is the reviews. They started rolling in Tuesday afternoon and only 40 percent of those on Rotten Tomatoes were positive.
“That’s ‘rotten,’ and if that trend continues it could make a difference,” Exhibitor Relations Co. analyst Jeff Bock told TheWrap. “That would keep some fence-sitters away and probably keep some parents from anteing up to bring their bundles of joy. I still think it will land in the $150 million range, but reviews could have a lot to do with whether it goes beyond that.’
Ecstatic reaction from special premieres in New York and Mexico City and several fan screenings has further stoked anticipation, but Tuesday’s Brussels terror attacks could keep some Europeans home. Tuesday’s london premiere was canceled and the studio is monitoring the developments closely.
There is one other movie opening wide on Friday. Nia Vardalos‘ long-gestating sequel to her 2002 indie hit “My Big, Fat Greek Wedding” will debut in 3,130 theaters for Universal.
The tea leaf reading will end with Thursday night’s previews, but there was one more Tuesday: The studio’s ‘Batman v Superman” web site crashed, very likely another positive sign.
Ben Affleck Is Batman: 16 Actors Who Played the Dark Knight Before Him (Photos)
Lewis G. Wilson:Â The first actor to play the Dark Knight in Columbia Pictures' 15-episode TV series, "Batman." As the United States had just entered the second World War, Batman's nemesis was a Japanese spy called Dr. Daka, whose plan was to take over the U.S. through a group of American traitors. Wilson died in 2000.
Robert Lowery:Â In 1949, Lowery took over for Wilson in the sequel series, "Batman and Robin." Fun fact: he grew up on Wayne Avenue in Kansas City pursuing Hollywood stardom. He died in 1971.
Adam West: For an entire generation, West is Batman, thanks to his turn on the iconic TV series that ran from 1966 to 1968 and spawned a film. West's halting delivery and campy earnestness are a far cry from today's Dark Knight, but his Bruce Wayne stands as one of the most beloved portrayals.
Olan Soule:Â The character actor, with hundreds of film credits to his name, was the main voice actor for the animated "Batman" from 1968 to 1984. He voiced the Dark Knight in several iterations of the character, from "Scooby Doo" to "Sesame Street" and several "Super Friends" cartoons.
Michael Keaton:Â When cast as Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 film, fans wrote to Warner Bros. in protest. But to their surprise, his darkly comic portrayal clicked, and Keaton stayed on for "Batman Returns" and was supposed to be in a third -- but dropped out when Burton did.
Kevin Conroy: Although they never saw his face, Conroy is regarded by fans as one of the finest voices Batman and Bruce Wayne ever had during his tenure as the DC superhero, which began in 1992 with "Batman: The Animated Series." He also lent his voice to Batman in a number of animated movies and video games.
Val Kilmer: Kilmer took over for Keaton in Joel Schumacher's "Batman Forever," a box office hit that received mixed reviews. He opted not to return for the next sequel, "Batman and Robin," because he believed his heroic character was marginalized in favor of the villains. Looking back on Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze, he may have been right.
George Clooney: The then TV-star stepped up to the plate when Kilmer backed out and has regretted it ever since. "Batman and Robin" was critically panned and didn't do nearly as well at the box office as its predecessor did. Also? Nipples.
Bruce Thomas: This actor first portrayed the Dark Knight in a series of OnStar commercials that aired between 2000 and 2002, then reprised the role for WB's short-lived TV series, "Birds of Prey."
Rino Romano: The voice actor, who has also voiced Spider-Man, provided Bruce Wayne and Batman's chatter in animated series, "The Batman," which ran from 2004 to 2008 on Cartoon Network.
Christian Bale: Christopher Nolan cast Bale as the vigilante in 2005's "Batman Begins," a welcome reboot to the franchise that lead to spectacular sequel, "The Dark Knight," and another massive hit, "The Dark Knight Rises."
William Baldwin: He was on the shortlist to play the billionaire-turned-superhero in "Batman Forever," but lost the role to Kilmer. Over a decade later, he voiced the character in 2010 animated movie "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths."
Bruce Greenwood: The veteran actor, who most recently appeared on the big screen in "Star Trek Into Darkness," voiced Batman in 2010 animated feature "Batman: Under the Red Hood," as well as animated television series "Young Justice."
Ben McKenzie:Â The "Southland" and "The O.C." star voiced Batman for "Batman: Year One," a 2011 animated film based on the four-issue comics run of the same name from 1987. It was released on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download.
Peter Weller: The 66-year-old "RoboCop" actor voiced an aging Batman in "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," a two-part animated movie released in December, and then January. Based on a 1986 comic book story arc by Frank Miller, the film followed Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham to after a 10-year hiatus.
Anthony Ruivivar: The "Southland" star is the latest actor to voice Batman in the newest animated series, "Beware the Batman," which began airing on Cartoon Network earlier this summer. Unlike earlier cartoon incarnations of the Dark Knight, "Beware the Batman" is entirely computer animated.
1 of 17
Christian Bale, George Clooney, Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton aren't the only other leading men who've played the caped crusader
