“Supergirl” Flop Threatens Warner Bros. With Nine-Figure Losses — Media

The second film in the revamped DCU could lead to major financial losses for Warner Bros.

Supergirl earned $68 million globally during its opening weekend. Analysts now expect the film to lose between $100 million and $120 million, according to Variety, which consulted industry experts and sources close to the production budget.

Warner Bros. and DC Studios spent $170 million on production and $120 million on marketing. Reaching the break-even point typically requires $375 million in revenue. However, a source familiar with internal studio calculations suggests the film needs only $300 million to cover costs.

Weak opening numbers make even that threshold unlikely. Analysts now project total worldwide earnings between $200 million and $210 million. At that level, losses could reach the $100 million to $120 million range.

A different source familiar with Warner Bros. finances believes the studio’s actual loss will be closer to $80 million or $85 million. The absence of backend participation deals for the cast and crew keeps those figures lower.

Even a $200 million total is not certain. Competition arrives in early July with Minions and Monsters, followed by the horror film Evil Dead: Hell, and Disney’s live-action Moana. Later in the summer, the release schedule includes Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey and Spider-Man: New Day, which has already set a five-year record for pre-sales.