Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and DC Studios chief James Gunn have both commented on the box-office and review success of Gunn’s “Superman” film which launched on Friday.
With the film looking to have an opening weekend launch of $123 million domestically and $217 million worldwide, combined with good critical reviews and very positive audience reaction scores.
The team gets to mark a rare win of late for a DC title, even if those slightly soft international numbers suggest it’s not the home run some fans may have hoped for.
Here are the statements from both Zaslav and Gunn regarding the film’s opening:
Zaslav: “Three years ago, I hired James Gunn and Peter Safran to reimagine and unify the creative direction of DC under one leadership team. James and Peter’s commitment to honoring the legacy of the DC Universe while forging something new is inspired. Superman is just the first step. Over the next year alone, DC Studios will introduce the films Supergirl and Clayface in theaters and the series Lanterns on HBO Max, all part of a bold ten-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
Gunn: “I’m incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days. We’ve had a lot of ‘Super’ in Superman over the years, and I’m happy to have made a movie that focuses on the ‘man’ part of the equation – a kind person always looking out for those in need. That that resonates so powerfully with so many people across the world is in itself a hopeful testament to the kindness and quality of human beings. Thank you.”
The talk comes as the film’s star David Corenswet revealed in a Vanity Fair interview that the scene in the film in which he punches and then leaps out of the glass prison (seen in the trailers) gave him a bit of a nasty right testicle injury.
It also comes as Gunn has done a delightful 35-minute episode of ‘Video Club’ (click here to watch) which was shot at JM Video in Paris. The store does these sort of episodes with filmmakers regularly and here he spends time raving about “Paddington 2,” “Kung Fu Hustle,” “Audition,” “Once Upon a Time in the West,” “The Villainess,” “Jackie Brown,” “The Thing,” “The Long Goodbye,” Hong Kong action cinema and more.
In the video, he cites “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse” as the best superhero film ever made, and “Iron Man” as the best live-action superhero film. He also touches upon old casting rumors for Superman, saying:
“There were two people I asked to be brought in, maybe more, but one guy I thought was most likely to be Superman and I asked for him to be brought in. I watched his tape first. That wasn’t very good. And then David Corenswet, I watched him and he was amazing.”
It’s not clear how early on in the casting process Gunn’s comment refers to so the ‘one guy’ isn’t quite clear – especially as not all the names who were in the running were leaked.
“Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi and “Grantchester” actor Tom Brittney were both linked at different points, with Brittney coming the closest. Gunn has raved about the British actor’s work in the past.
“Superman” is now in cinemas.
Source: THR
