Warner Bros. is celebrating a major box office win as its latest superhero film, "Superman," debuted with an impressive $122 million in domestic sales this weekend.

It marks the second-largest opening day of the year, just behind the studio's own "Minecraft Movie," and puts the film on a clear path to recover its $225 million budget.

The film, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, was released under the newly restructured DC Studios.

According to Forbes, early numbers signal a strong comeback for Warner Bros., which has been working to rebuild its DC Extended Universe (DCEU) after several underwhelming releases in recent years.

Internationally, "Superman" brought in another $95 million, although analysts say overseas performance may have been dampened by current global political tensions. Still, the combined global total of $217 million suggests the film is off to a flying start.

New 'Superman' Wins Over Fans with 93% Audience Score

Critics and fans have largely praised the movie. Rotten Tomatoes shows 82% positive reviews from critics and a 93% audience score. The story, focusing on a more grounded and relatable Superman, has won over viewers.

"This is the original comic book hero story about a flawed and reluctant everyman who uses his powers to fight evil," said David A. Gross, a film consultant at FranchiseRe.

Despite early criticism from some online voices who accused the film of being "too political" after Gunn described Superman as an immigrant, fan support appears strong.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav praised the performance and teased what's ahead. "Now we have Gunn and [Peter] Safran firing with a 10-year plan," Zaslav told The New York Times. "Supergirl" has already been shot. They're working on Wonder Woman. They're working on Batman."

In terms of competition, "Jurassic World Rebirth" landed in second place with $40 million, and "F1: The Movie took" third with $13 million in its third weekend, DailyMail said. Other box office contenders include "How to Train Your Dragon (live-action)" and Disney's "Elio."

Originally published on vcpost.com

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