DC Studios’ Superman is flying to great heights, with $55M in its first day, including $22.5M in previews. The James Gunn-written and directed film is looking at a $115M+ opening weekend, and it could even reach $120M.

Despite the backlash and MAGA sentiment that the film is too “woke,” that has not stopped the engine that is Superman. This week’s $22.5M in previews are higher than the previews for 2023’s Barbie (which saw $22.3M, and $162M its opening weekend) and ahead of all the previews for Matt Reeves’ 2022 DC entry, The Batman (which saw $21.6M, and $134M opening weekend). 

Superman is for everyone, getting a 78% definite recommend on PostTrak for general audiences. Warner Bros. has been on a hot streak, with A Minecraft Movie ($162.7M), Sinners ($48M), Final Destination Bloodlines ($51.6M) and F1 ($57M) all performing exceptionally. In July of last year, Despicable Me 4 brought in $123M, and this year, it’s expected that the marketplace will zoom past that number with ease.

Final numbers for opening day are in. The film made $56.5 million on Friday and preview screenings in 4,135 theaters. This is the second biggest opening for the calendar year, falling just short of A Minecraft Movie ($57.11 million), and just ahead of Lilo & Stitch ($55.94 million).

Superman drew mid-week projections for a debut nearing $100 million, with some outlets even projecting over $140 million. The film is now looking at $120 million for its opening weekend. The film also gets a revenue boost from luxury ticket prices for IMAX and other premium large-format theaters.

While it seems like the hot streak for Warner Bros. will continue, this Superman film is the first installment in the Safran-Gunn DC Universe. With a large $225 million production budget, the film is also responsible for launching this new universe and setting the tone for future films set within it.

Expected numbers for this weekend are as follows, according to the Hollywood Reporter’s estimates:

1.) Superman Fri $55M, 3-day $115M-$120M/Wk 1

2.) Jurassic World Rebirth Fri $10.8M, 3-day $37M, Total $229.1M/Wk 2

3.) F1 Fri $3M, 3-day $10.7M, Total $133.8M/Wk 3

4.) How to Train Your Dragon Fri $1.7M, 3-day $5.7M, Total $237.7M/Wk 5

5.) Elio Fri $950K, 3-day $3.1M, Total $62.8M/Wk 4