Warner Bros.’ “Man of Steel” got off to a splendid start Thursday night grossing $21 million from “midnight” screenings. This total includes earlier screenings, but that is the norm for studios looking for a kickstart gross for a potential blockbuster.
For comparison’s sake, “Man of Steel’s” early showings grossed more than “The Avengers” ($18.5 million) and “The Hunger Games” ($19.7 million), but is less than the all-time champ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2” ($43.5 million) or any of the last four “Twilight” films which all found between $26-30 million after dark.
Zack Snyder’s Superman tale has polarized critics, but pre-release polling still indicates anywhere to a $90-100 million plus debut over the three-day weekend.
“Man of Steel” will feel some slight competition from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s well-received “This Is The End.” The R-rated comedy has already grossed $7.8 million after debuting on Wednesday and is looking at a $35-37 million gross for its first five days.
Last weekend’s champ, “The Purge,” has had a strong drop off which is expected for most horror movies. Summit Entertainment’s crowd pleaser “Now You See Me” is expected to take the third slot this weekend.
Look for continuing box office updates Saturday and Sunday on HitFix.
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