‘Superman' flexes its might in second weekend with $57.3 million
None of the week's new releases — 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' 'Smurfs,' and 'Eddington' — came close to touching Warner Bros. and DC Studios' superhero success. 'Superman' dipped 54% from its domestic opening, an average decline for a big summer film.
In two weeks, 'Superman' has grossed $406.8 million worldwide, a good start for the movie DC Studios is banking on to restart its movie operations. A big test looms next weekend, when the Walt Disney Co. releases Marvel's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps.'
Strong audience scores and good reviews should help propel the $225 million-budgeted 'Superman' toward profitability in the coming weeks. For Warner Bros. and DC Studios, 'Superman' is key to kicking off a 10-year plan for the comic book adaptation studio. Co-heads Gunn and Peter Safra were tasked with rehabilitating the flagging operation. Next on tap are the films 'Supergirl' and 'Clayface' in 2026.
But 'Superman' is far from flying solo in theaters right now. Universal Pictures' 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' came in second this weekend, with $23.4 million in its third week of release. The seventh 'Jurassic' movie, this one starring Scarlett Johansson, held its own despite the competition from 'Superman.' In three weeks, it accrued $648 million worldwide.
Apple Studios and Warner Bros.' 'F1: The Movie' has also shown legs, especially internationally. In its fourth weekend, the Brad Pitt racing drama dipped just 26% domestically, bringing in $9.6 million in North America, and another $29.5 million overseas. Its global total stands at $460.8 million.
But both of the biggest new releases — Sony Pictures' 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and Paramount Pictures' 'Smurfs' — fell flat.
'I Know What You Did Last Summer' opened with $13 million, a fair result for a movie budgeted at a modest $18 million, but a disappointing opening for a well-known horror franchise. The film, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is set 27 years after the 1997 original. Teenagers played by Madelyn Cline and Chase Sui Wonders are again haunted for covering up a car accident.
The movie's reviews (38% 'fresh' on Rotten Tomatoes) were poor for 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and audiences graded it similarly. The film notched a 'C+' on CinemaScore. The original collected $72.6 million in its domestic run in 1997.
Paramount Pictures' 'Smurfs' debuted in fourth place this weekend with $11 million. The latest big-screen reboot for the woodland blue creatures prominently features Rihanna as the voice of Smurfette. But reviews (21% 'fresh' on Rotten Tomatoes) were terrible. Audiences were kinder, giving it a 'B+' on CinemaScore, but the $58 million-budgeted release will depend largely on its international sales. In 56 overseas markets, 'Smurfs' earned $22.6 million.
Ari Aster's 'Eddington' opened with $4.2 million on 2,111 screens for A24. Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, 'Eddington' has been particularly divisive. The pandemic-set Western features Joaquin Phoenix as the right-wing sheriff of a small New Mexico town who faces off with its liberal mayor (Pedro Pascal).
While Aster's first film, 2018's 'Heredity' ($82.8 million worldwide against a $10 million budget) helped establish A24 as an indie powerhouse, but the less-than-stellar launch of 'Eddington' marks the second box-office disappointment for Aster. His 2023 film 'Beau Is Afraid' cost $35 million to make but collected just $12.4 million worldwide. 'Eddington' cost about $25 million to produce. Audiences gave it a 'C+' on CinemaScore. None of Aster's previous films have been graded higher.
Yet collectively, Hollywood is enjoying a very good summer. According to data firm Comscore, the 2025 summer box office is up 15.9% over the same period last year, with the year-to-date sales running 15% ahead of 2025. Summer ticket sales have amassed about $2.6 billion domestically, according to Comscore.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. 'Superman,' $57.3 million.
2. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $23.4 million.
3. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $13 million.
4. 'Smurfs,' $11 million.
5, 'F1: The Movie,' $9.6 million.
6. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $5.4 million.
7. 'Eddington,' $4.3 million.
8. 'Elio,' $2 million.
9. 'Lilo & Stitch,' $1.5 million.
10. '28 Years Later,' $1.3 million.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
11 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Chase Sui Wonders is having a summer of horror
Published Aug 06, 2025 • 6 minute read Chase Sui Wonders attends the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "I Know What You Did Last Summer" at The United Theater on Broadway on July 14, 2025 in Los Angeles. Photo by Monica Schipper / Getty Images It must be terrifying to step into the lead role of a popular horror franchise, especially for an up-and-coming actress. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Apparently, this is no less true if your name is Chase Sui Wonders and you came to 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' with experience in the genre. But the latest star in the IKWYDLS franchise says it helped to have a fan in the director's chair and a famous mentor on set. After Sui Wonders's turn in the 2022 horror-comedy 'Bodies Bodies Bodies' caught the attention of director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson ('Someone Great'), the filmmaker says she had the actress in mind when adapting 1997's 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' (directed by Jim Gillespie) into the franchise reboot that opened in theaters on Friday. And for Sui Wonders, following in the footsteps of I Know What You Did veteran Jennifer Love Hewitt became far less daunting when the two performers met before filming began. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The moment that I saw her, she just enveloped me in the most familiar hug that I've maybe ever gotten,' Sui Wonders says of her first encounter with the franchise OG. 'She was so present with me and patient with me. She wanted to hear all about my career, my life and my family. She gave me boy advice. She's like, 'Hop on by if you ever want a home-cooked meal or some more advice about your boy problems.'' A similar dynamic takes place in the new I Know What You Did, when Ava (Sui Wonders) seeks out Julie James (Hewitt) to help put a stop to the murders. Hewitt's character gets involved after Ava and her college-bound group of friends unintentionally kill a local from Southport, North Carolina, in a similar setup to 28 years ago. Sui Wonders credibly portrays Ava's doubts about fleeing the scene, echoing how Julie felt in the original film. Reading the new script, Sui Wonders thought it was the right time to return to the series' evergreen terror. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's such a slice of Americana,' says the would-be scream queen, who called from Los Angeles, where she was spending time with family after attending the film's premiere. 'This idyllic sort of seaside town that is just totally flipped inside out and just ravaged by this tragedy. It really just scratches an itch.' Sui Wonders's guilt-heavy, live-wire performance provides a trusty support beam for co-writers Robinson and Sam Lansky's attempt to renovate I Know What You Did for a younger audience. The screen franchise, based on Lois Duncan's 1973 novel, includes a 1998 sequel ('I Still Know What You Did Last Summer') and a 2021 television series that lasted one season. These days, Southport is a new-money destination, thanks to a developer who whitewashes the history of the town, including the 1997 massacre. Fishing boat workers are swapped out for frat guys in khakis and polo shirts. Those kinds of updates appealed to the young actress as she was searching for a larger studio project with a fresh take. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'With all this IP stuff floating around out there, it takes a really surprising take to make something that is exciting and appealing, especially to an actor and certainly to the audience members,' Sui Wonders says. 'The way that they approach it, I was like, 'Oh, oh, we're doing backflips in a different dimension here.'' This rendition is also zeitgeist-y. Instead of Toad the Wet Sprocket and Korn on the soundtrack, the new film opts for Addison Rae and the 1975. Gabbriette Bechtel, a year after being shouted out on 'Brat,' appears as a true crime podcaster who refers to what happened to Southport as 'gentrifislaytion.' While the core quartet are – of course – being hunted by someone in a raincoat brandishing a hook, Ava and her friends reference memes and easily toss around therapy-speak. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At first, the modernity can be a little jarring, but Sui Wonders credibly delivers the Gen Z slang and tonal shifts. Robinson was looking for someone to also underscore the familiarity of a character like Ava. 'I wanted a person who you watch and you're like, 'God, I just want to be her best friend,'' Robinson says in a phone call. 'And that is how I, Jen Robinson, feel about Chase Sui Wonders. Having that feeling, for her, made me [confident] that will translate on-screen for audiences.' Like a lot of performers, Sui Wonders says she lacked confidence as a child. She was extraordinarily shy, until she settled into a pair of skates and found her confidence on the ice of her native Michigan, where she learned hockey from a friend's dad who played for the Detroit Red Wings. Then her mom forced her to audition for 'The Wizard of Oz' at a local community theater. She spent three years in the chorus, mostly, but eventually landed a coveted role: Veruca Salt in 'Willy Wonka.' She balanced acting and sports in high school, where she joined the varsity ice hockey team, which went on to win a state championship in 2013. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. After graduating from Harvard in 2018 with a degree in film studies and production, Sui Wonders landed a role in the HBO coming-of-age show 'Generation,' as Riley, a popular high school student in a conservative community. Then came the role of Emma, a portrait of wealthy indifference in the Halina Reijn-directed 'Bodies Bodies Bodies.' More recently, she's been getting 'breakout star' attention as assistant-turned-executive Quinn Hackett in 'The Studio,' Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's satirical series about the movie industry. At first, she was terrified to improvise alongside a cast of comedy legends, from Catherine O'Hara to Ike Barinholtz. But once everyone was on set, she found it hard not to crack up between takes. In most episodes, Quinn whirls between biting confidence and ridiculous, pitiful one-upmanship. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'She's such a little terrorizing rat,' Sui Wonders says. 'While she is semi-well-intentioned, I like seeing her in positions where her mal-intentions get her into a completely outsize amount of trouble.' 'The Studio' just amassed 23 Emmy nominations – Sui Wonders was sadly not among them, landing her on many a 'snubbed' list – and it's already been renewed for a second season. The actress says she's spoken with Rogen and Goldberg about where to take her character next, but no matter where Quinn ends up, Sui Wonders wants to branch out, including directing more (she made a short film about attending a wake a few years ago) and perhaps returning to the stage (she recently took part in a table read of a new play to be directed by Michael Herwitz). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But she's also getting back to her roots in independent film. Alongside Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman, she'll be seen in the upcoming 'I Want Your Sex,' from Gregg Araki, 'the father of queer independent cinema,' Sui Wonders says. 'All his movies, they leave you with the most unsettling kind of gut-wrenching feeling.' Speaking of 'unsettling,' in a good way, Sui Wonders seems to have impressed at least one of her co-stars on 'The Studio' with her wry, offbeat sense of humor. 'I remember our first week, I made a passing reference to 'Austin Powers,'' says Barinholtz, whose character Sal, another studio executive, frequently butts heads with Quinn. 'Chase told me, 'That's a very important movie for me. I was nonverbal until a late age, and it was only by imitating Fat Bastard that I was able to find my voice.' 'I think about that a lot. It's one of the funniest things I've ever heard a person say.' Celebrity Columnists Editorial Cartoons Television Basketball
Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Weapons' spins small town into chaos that mirrors real life, humor and all
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If there's one thing Zach Cregger learned while writing and directing his upcoming horror movie 'Weapons,' it's that the best laughs won't come from the jokes he writes. The film follows Cregger's 2022 solo directorial debut 'Barbarians,' the widely celebrated genre-bending horror. This time, the young director bends even more, spinning a town into chaos when all children but one from the same classroom mysteriously vanish, leaving a trail of questions in their place. The Warner Bros. release hits theaters Friday and is as creepy as it is hilarious — a delicate balance that required Cregger to strip any intentionality behind his humor, he told The Associated Press. 'If the humor is coming from an authentic reaction that a character's having, then it works,' Cregger said. 'There's a lot of jokes that didn't make it into the movie that I thought were going to be so funny. And then we did a test screening, and nobody laughed and I'm like, OK, it's gotta go.' Paranoia runs deep in the film. The town's heartbroken parents are represented by Josh Brolin's character, Archer, whose son was among the missing. The students' teacher, played by Julia Garner, is determined to solve the mystery, despite parents blaming her for the disappearances. The humor here comes naturally, Cregger said, as characters navigate the absurd events happening around them. 'You're not playing for the laugh, otherwise you lose the laugh,' said Brolin, whose character stumbles through his grief, a state ripe for what he called genuine and 'embarrassingly funny' moments. Maybrook's unrest puts a mirror up to society If 17 kids up and ran out of their homes at 2:17 a.m. one morning with no trace, what would a community do? That question drove 'Weapons,' painting a picture of a town left reeling by the mystery. The film setting — the fictional small town of Maybrook, Illinois — is just as integral to the plot as any of its main characters. The town feels hyper realistic, a core tenet to the movie's ability to blend humor and horror, two genres that Garner said are 'opposite side of the same coin.' 'It's funny because this isn't even like a proper horror film,' Garner said. 'It has comedic elements and has horror elements, but it's kind of its own genre, in a way.' The town's reactions to tragedy and shock was intentionally meant to feel oddly realistic, Cregger said. Parents are outraged, storming into town halls and angrily demanding answers from the police, the school and, most pointedly, the students' teacher. Yet, when Garner's character is attacked in broad daylight, bystanders and store owners hardly bat an eye, a level of indifference that Cregger said is just as realistic as the parental outrage. 'We definitely have a, 'Whoa, not my problem,' kind of a thing when chaos is occurring, because we see it so much on TV that I think we're able to just kind of tune it out, even when it's happening in front of us,' Cregger said. 'Living in America, I've seen crazy things happen with my own eyes right in front of me, and I've just kept walking for better or worse, so I don't know, it feels real.' 'Weapons' relies on imperfect characters Brolin — who's found wide-reaching success across Hollywood, from the 1985 classic, 'The Goonies,' to the Marvel universe — initially hesitated when approached for the film. As a father of four, facing his worst nightmare — losing his children — was 'not something I want to show up to work for,' he said. But 'Weapons' lends the characters a layer of depth that allowed horror, a genre he said is typically treated as cosmetic, to suddenly have 'depth, and humor and absurdity,' which, coupled with his own adult daughter's love of 'Barbarian,' was enough to convince him to sign on. The movie subtly mocks suburban life, as goriness and horror occur under the sights of nosy neighbors, corrupt police departments and struggling relationships. Each character that drives the plot forward is just as flawed as they are victims of tragedy. Gandy, the schoolteacher, is harassed by parents for her missing students, but is secretly battling alcoholism. Archer, the heartbroken father, is failing in his job and his marriage as he navigates his son's absence. Paul Morgan, played by Alden Ehrenreich, is a local beat police officer with secrets of his own. 'Every character is perceived in a certain way and then every character breaks,' Brolin said. 'It all comes down to this very base thing: What if you lost the thing that you value the most? How do you deal?' For Ehrenreich, who's found success in dramas, notably as a young Han Solo, 'Weapons' offered a different pace, but its horror wasn't what drew him in. Rather, he was captivated by the film's depth and weirdness. 'The weird resonance, the weird opening voice-over, the way it was written and the kind of emotional brokenness of these characters and the depth that I felt was in the writing, that was as deep as any drama I've read in years,' Ehrenreich said.
National Post
a day ago
- National Post
The Five: What to look forward to in the week ahead
Liam Neeson plays Frank Drebin Jr. in The Naked Gun, which is maxing out approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Photo by Paramount Pictures Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. 1. FILM: The Naked Gun (Aug. 1) THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Let the gags begin! Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson star in the latest film in the action-comedy franchise, a sequel to the 1994 instalment Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. Neeson plays the son of Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen in the previous movies), who's following in his father's footsteps. The stakes are suitably high — he must solve a murder case to stop the police department from shutting down. Written and co-directed by Akiva Schaffer, the movie had a 92 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of press time. Things look promising off-screen, too: Neeson and Anderson are reportedly dating. Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand and Danny Huston also star. 2. TV: Wednesday (Aug. 6, Netflix) It's been a long wait, but Season 2 of the creepy and kooky series is finally here. And we mean loooooong — Season 1 premiered nearly three years ago, in November 2022. Season 2 is broken up into two parts, with the first four episodes landing this week and the final four episodes arriving Sept. 3. Jenna Ortega returns as the titular character, who must solve new mysteries at Nevermore Academy while trying to master her psychic powers. What's more, her brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), is now a student at the school. 'She's kind of knocked off her feet this season. So it's a lot of pressure,' Ortega recently told Reuters. Wednesday, the newest addition to the Addams Family franchise, has won four Primetime Emmy Awards. 3. CELEBRATE: National Watermelon Day (Aug. 3) Mark Twain once said, 'When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the angels eat.' The juicy and refreshing summer fruit is in the spotlight on Sunday, and you can indulge guilt free: watermelons are packed with nutrients including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C. They also may protect against cancer, improve heart health and reduce inflammation. To find a perfectly ripe watermelon, look for a fruit that's symmetrical — whether round, oval or oblong — with a buttery yellow underbelly. It should feel heavy for its size, according to and be free of soft spots and bruises. 4. BOOKS: Children Like Us: A Métis Woman's Memoir of Family, Identity and Walking Herself Home Métis author Brittany Penner tells her story in this recently released book about family, identity, belonging and cultural heritage. As an infant in 1989, Penner is adopted by a Mennonite family. She lives in a small prairie town without knowledge of her past — or even her birth name. By age seven, she's lost 21 foster siblings who were also Indigenous. 'She knows that to stay, she has to force herself into the mould created for her,' reads an official description of the book. 'She must be obedient. Quiet. Good. No matter what.' 5. MUSIC: Buddy Guy, Ain't Done With the Blues Fresh off of his appearance in Ryan Coogler's acclaimed film Sinners, blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy has released his first full-length studio album since The Blues Don't Lie (2022). Guy, who turned 89 on July 30, offers up a collection of 18 Chicago blues tracks on two discs. Peter Frampton joins Guy for the song It Keeps Me Young, while Joe Walsh lends his talents to How Blues Is That. The track Jesus Loves the Sinner features vocals by The Blind Boys of Alabama. Guy retired from extensive touring last year. He has won eight Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award.
