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NEW YORK (AP) — James Gunn’s “Superman” showed staying power in its second weekend at North American box offices, collecting $57.3 million in ticket sales and remaining the No. 1 movie in cinemas, according to studio estimates Sunday.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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But both of the biggest new releases — Sony Pictures’ “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and Paramount Pictures’ “Smurfs” _ fell flat.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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