We don’t normally report box office figures on a weekday morning, but with studios constantly trying to outdo each other, the launch of Superman Returns in the States a full two days before the weekend makes waves.
But while he had a strong kick-off, he didn’t prove to be a superhero in the box office stakes, taking $21 million in the first day, almost equal to the launch day of War Of The Worlds, which was the July 4 “weekend” opener last year. It’s the eighth biggest Wednesday opening ever. But not to worry - Superman has quite a run ahead of him. Because Next Tuesday is that July 4 date and therefore a holiday in the US, Warners is using the run as one, long, seven-day weekend. Coughcheating!cough.
Superman Returns Again, the sequel, opened last week. Or at least it will have done once Warners perfects time-travel technology. Anyone got a spare Delorean the studio can borrow?