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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Superman Returns

The Numbers Rating: 7.68 (109 votes) Rate it - Rating Details
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 76% - Fresh
Theatrical Performance
Total US Gross $200,120,000
International Gross $191,000,000
Worldwide Gross $391,120,000
Home Market Performance
US DVD Sales: $81,579,589 Weekly Breakdown
For full financial breakdown, please contact our research team.
Released June 28, 2006
November 28, 2006 (DVD Sale)
Production Budget $232,000,000
MPAA Rating PG-13 for some intense action violence
Merchandising Revenue:"...more than $60 million" (THR, 11/2/2007, p. P-7)
Running Time:157 minutes
Ad Budget (Nielsen):$41,000,000
US Video Game Sales 2006:<400,000
Gross in IMAX theaters:$22,800,000
Cable TV Rights (FX):12% of domestic gross, capped between $17m and $25m
Franchises Superman
Keywords D.C. Comics, Visual Effects, Friendly Alien on Earth
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Produced by Legendary Pictures
Music Composed By John Ottman, John Williams
Source Based on Comic/Graphic Novel
Major Genre Adventure
Country United States
Production Method Live Action
Creative Type Super Hero
Director Bryan Singer

Budget Note

Bryan Singer was quoted as saying the budget for Superman Returns was $250 million in late 2004. He has since denied that figure (Entertainment Weekly, January 27, 2006). Warner Bros. has unofficially put the budget at $184 million, "factoring in tax breaks offered in Australia" (Variety, February 22, 2006 and March 27, 2006). Assuming the Australian tax break is 12%, that puts the actual production budget at $209 million, which is the figure we are using. Variety (May 22, 2006) also reports an additional $40 million in "prior pay or play deals," which brings the cost to Warner Bros of $250 million. It is possible the "official" budget for the movie will be lowered when (or even after) it is released, since the studio can spread some of the costs between this release and possible sequels.

Update: In Newsweek's July 3-10, 2006 issue, Singer says, "The approved budget was $184.5 million. We had projected overages for visual effects, and there was a sequence that I wanted that was going to cost an extra $2.3 million. So the hard, honest number is $204 million." We are taking this as the official final budget. Factoring in the tax break puts the cost at $232 million, and adding the $40 million in previous costs to the studio means that the total expense on the project was in the neighborhood of $270 million.

In the forums

Discuss Superman Returns

Cast

Brandon Routh    Clark Kent/Superman
Kevin Spacey    Lex Luthor
Kate Bosworth    Lois Lane
James Marsden    Richard White
Frank Langella    Perry White
Kal Penn    Riley
Sam Huntington    Jimmy Olsen
Eva Marie Saint    Martha Kent
Parker Posey    Kitty Koslowski
Peta Wilson    Bobbie Faye

Weekend Chart Record

DateRank Gross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
6/30/2006 1 $52,535,096   4,065 $12,924 $84,593,540 5
7/7/2006 2 $21,815,243 -58.47% 4,065 $5,367 $141,642,667 12
7/14/2006 4 $12,288,317 -43.67% 3,765 $3,264 $164,316,103 19
7/21/2006 8 $7,375,213 -39.98% 2,826 $2,610 $178,342,711 26
7/28/2006 12 $3,788,228 -48.64% 2,005 $1,889 $185,794,683 33
8/4/2006 14 $2,158,227 -43.03% 1,710 $1,262 $190,176,570 40
8/11/2006 18 $1,242,461 -42.43% 750 $1,657 $192,594,159 47
8/18/2006 21 $848,255 -31.73% 383 $2,215 $194,165,746 54
8/25/2006 21 $780,405 -8.00% 311 $2,509 $195,388,237 61
9/1/2006 18 $874,141 +12.01% 281 $3,111 $196,576,057 68
9/8/2006 24 $453,273 -48.15% 241 $1,881 $197,430,626 75
9/15/2006 24 $386,424 -14.75% 144 $2,684 $198,008,105 82
9/22/2006 27 $301,373 -22.01% 124 $2,430 $198,447,055 89
9/29/2006 22 $403,377 +33.85% 410 $984 $198,935,940 96
10/6/2006 24 $296,502 -26.50% 388 $764 $199,394,532 103
10/13/2006 26 $216,430 -27.01% 348 $622 $199,732,905 110
10/20/2006 34 $173,300 -19.93% 303 $572 $200,006,305 117
10/27/2006 55 $40,505 -76.63% 41 $988 $200,069,408 124
11/3/2006 54 $39,000 -3.72% 40 $975 $200,120,000 131

Daily Chart Record

DateRank Gross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
6/28/2006 1 $21,037,277   3,915 $5,374 $21,037,277 1
6/29/2006 1 $11,021,167 -47.61% 3,915 $2,815 $32,058,444 2
6/30/2006 1 $16,318,426 +48.06% 4,065 $4,014 $48,376,870 3
7/1/2006 1 $18,419,067 +12.87% 4,065 $4,531 $66,795,937 4
7/2/2006 1 $17,797,603 -3.37% 4,065 $4,378 $84,593,540 5
7/3/2006 1 $12,988,054 -27.02% 4,065 $3,195 $97,581,594 6
7/4/2006 1 $10,510,117 -19.08% 4,065 $2,586 $108,091,711 7
7/5/2006 1 $6,425,270 -38.87% 4,065 $1,581 $114,516,981 8
7/6/2006 1 $5,310,443 -17.35% 4,065 $1,306 $119,827,424 9
7/7/2006 2 $6,958,372 +31.03% 4,065 $1,712 $126,785,796 10
7/8/2006 2 $8,507,643 +22.26% 4,065 $2,093 $135,293,439 11
7/9/2006 2 $6,349,228 -25.37% 4,065 $1,562 $141,642,667 12
7/10/2006 2 $2,655,288 -58.18% 4,065 $653 $144,297,955 13
7/11/2006 2 $2,628,496 -1.01% 4,065 $647 $146,926,451 14
7/12/2006 2 $2,654,150 +0.98% 4,065 $653 $149,580,601 15
7/13/2006 3 $2,447,185 -7.80% 4,065 $602 $152,027,786 16
7/14/2006 4 $3,371,146 +37.76% 3,765 $895 $155,398,932 17
7/15/2006 4 $4,950,885 +46.86% 3,765 $1,315 $160,349,817 18
7/16/2006 4 $3,966,286 -19.89% 3,765 $1,053 $164,316,103 19
7/17/2006 4 $1,701,259 -57.11% 3,765 $452 $166,017,362 20
7/18/2006 5 $1,725,372 +1.42% 3,765 $458 $167,742,734 21
7/19/2006 5 $1,567,280 -9.16% 3,765 $416 $169,310,014 22
7/20/2006 4 $1,657,484 +5.76% 3,765 $440 $170,967,498 23
7/21/2006 9 $1,961,440 +18.34% 2,826 $694 $172,928,938 24
7/22/2006 8 $3,072,413 +56.64% 2,826 $1,087 $176,001,351 25
7/23/2006 8 $2,341,360 -23.79% 2,826 $829 $178,342,711 26
7/24/2006 9 $955,084 -59.21% 2,826 $338 $179,297,795 27
7/25/2006 9 $948,160 -0.72% 2,826 $336 $180,245,955 28
7/26/2006 9 $872,210 -8.01% 2,826 $309 $181,118,165 29
7/27/2006 9 $888,290 +1.84% 2,826 $314 $182,006,455 30
7/28/2006 12 $1,030,995 +16.07% 2,005 $514 $183,037,450 31
7/29/2006 11 $1,554,791 +50.80% 2,005 $775 $184,592,241 32
7/30/2006 12 $1,202,442 -22.66% 2,005 $600 $185,794,683 33
7/31/2006 12 $558,152 -53.58% 2,005 $278 $186,352,835 34
8/1/2006 12 $568,489 +1.85% 2,005 $284 $186,921,324 35
8/2/2006 12 $554,218 -2.51% 2,005 $276 $187,475,542 36
8/3/2006 11 $542,801 -2.06% 2,005 $271 $188,018,343 37
8/4/2006 14 $617,677 +13.79% 1,710 $361 $188,636,020 38
8/5/2006 14 $882,729 +42.91% 1,710 $516 $189,518,749 39
8/6/2006 14 $657,821 -25.48% 1,710 $385 $190,176,570 40
8/7/2006 13 $347,430 -47.18% 1,710 $203 $190,524,000 41
8/8/2006 -  $303,245 -12.72% 1,710 $177 $190,827,245 42
8/9/2006 -  $261,161 -13.88% 1,474 $177 $191,088,406 43
8/10/2006 -  $263,292 +0.82% 1,474 $179 $191,351,698 44
8/11/2006 -  $348,680 +32.43% 750 $465 $191,700,378 45
8/12/2006 -  $524,510 +50.43% 750 $699 $192,224,888 46
8/13/2006 -  $369,271 -29.60% 750 $492 $192,594,159 47
8/14/2006 -  $183,322 -50.36% 750 $244 $192,777,481 48
8/15/2006 -  $184,339 +0.55% 750 $246 $192,961,820 49
8/16/2006 -  $177,400 -3.76% 750 $237 $193,139,220 50
8/17/2006 -  $178,271 +0.49% 750 $238 $193,317,491 51
8/18/2006 -  $221,360 +24.17% 383 $578 $193,538,851 52
8/19/2006 -  $376,055 +69.88% 383 $982 $193,914,906 53
8/20/2006 -  $250,840 -33.30% 383 $655 $194,165,746 54
8/21/2006 -  $112,258 -55.25% 383 $293 $194,278,004 55
8/22/2006 -  $108,202 -3.61% 383 $283 $194,386,206 56
8/23/2006 -  $107,334 -0.80% 383 $280 $194,493,540 57
8/24/2006 -  $114,292 +6.48% 383 $298 $194,607,832 58
8/25/2006 -  $205,873 +80.13% 311 $662 $194,813,705 59
8/26/2006 -  $339,932 +65.12% 311 $1,093 $195,153,637 60
8/27/2006 -  $234,600 -30.99% 311 $754 $195,388,237 61
8/28/2006 -  $88,380 -62.33% 311 $284 $195,476,617 62
8/29/2006 -  $83,206 -5.85% 311 $268 $195,559,823 63
8/30/2006 -  $72,124 -13.32% 311 $232 $195,631,947 64
8/31/2006 -  $69,969 -2.99% 311 $225 $195,701,916 65
9/1/2006 -  $176,002 +151.54% 281 $626 $195,877,918 66
9/2/2006 -  $346,555 +96.90% 281 $1,233 $196,224,473 67
9/3/2006 -  $351,584 +1.45% 281 $1,251 $196,576,057 68
9/4/2006 19 $241,087 -31.43% 281 $858 $196,817,144 69
9/5/2006 -  $58,333 -75.80% 281 $208 $196,875,477 70
9/6/2006 -  $52,490 -10.02% 281 $187 $196,927,967 71
9/7/2006 13 $49,386 -5.91% 281 $176 $196,977,353 72
9/8/2006 -  $108,771 +120.25% 241 $451 $197,086,124 73
9/9/2006 -  $214,905 +97.58% 241 $892 $197,301,029 74
9/10/2006 -  $129,597 -39.70% 241 $538 $197,430,626 75

Color coding:
= Weekend days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
= Public Holidays (New Year's Day, July 4 etc.)

Worldwide Weekly Chart Record

DateRank Gross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal Gross
2006-06-29 5 $32,058,444   3,915 $8,189 $32,058,444
2006-07-06 1 $112,168,980 +249.89% 5,844 $19,194 $144,227,424
2006-07-13 2 $43,600,362 -61.13% 5,920 $7,365 $187,827,786
2006-07-20 2 $60,139,712 +37.93% 9,765 $6,159 $247,967,498
2006-07-27 2 $44,038,957 -26.77% 7,830 $5,624 $292,006,455
2006-08-03 3 $35,002,582 -20.52% 6,576 $5,323 $327,009,037
2006-08-10 6 $16,747,142 -52.15% 6,132 $2,731 $343,756,179
2006-08-17 18 $7,556,744 -54.88% 3,936 $1,920 $351,312,923
2006-08-24 9 $11,829,703 +56.54% 3,774 $3,135 $363,142,626
2006-08-31 16 $7,207,387 -39.07% 2,934 $2,457 $370,350,013
2006-09-07 10 $8,892,105 +23.37% 3,127 $2,844 $379,242,118
2006-09-14 19 $4,302,154 -51.62% 2,275 $1,891 $383,544,272
2006-09-21 38 $1,977,808 -54.03% 1,197 $1,652 $385,522,080
2006-09-28 32 $3,010,483 +52.21%     $388,532,563
2006-10-05 54 $565,467 -81.22% 410 $1,379 $389,098,030
2006-10-12 54 $418,445 -26.00%     $389,516,475
2006-10-19 53 $316,530 -24.36% 348 $910 $389,833,005
2006-10-26 62 $195,898 -38.11% 303 $647 $390,028,903
2006-11-02 70 $52,289 -73.31% 41 $1,275 $390,081,192