Man of Steel got off to a great start with early screenings on Thursday night and from midnight showings. The Superman reboot is expected to dominate the box office this weekend and while midnight grosses weren’t record breaking, it shows that people are happy to see Superman fly again.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film made $12 million from the special early screenings hosted by Wal-Mart, plus another $9 million from midnight runs. That’s a combined total of $21 million, passing the $15.6 million made by Iron Man 3 during its early screenings.
While those numbers are a great sign for Warner Bros., it is well behind the record holders for the best midnight openings. The Los Angeles Times reports that The Dark Knight Rises grossed $30.6 million last summer during midnight screenings. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 still holds the all-time midnight record with $43.5 million. Both films were also made by Warner Bros.
Man of Steel is expected to make at least $100 million this weekend in an attempt to break the record for the biggest June opening ever. The film was directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan. Henry Cavill plays Superman.
The film also opens in the U.K. and Mexico this weekend and starts its big international rollout next weekend.
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