Supergirl flop costs Warner Bros. Discovery up to $200 million
The superhero film Supergirl earned roughly $126 million worldwide, far below its reported production budget of $170‑$186 million and the additional marketing spend that pushed the break‑even target to $300‑$375 million. Analysts estimate the shortfall will cost Warner Bros. Discovery about $200 million, making the movie the worst‑performing DC release since Jonah Hex (2010) and the lowest‑grossing DC title since Catwoman (2004).
CEO David Zaslav told investors that the studio will not change its DC strategy despite the loss. He highlighted that James Gunn is now focused on the upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, which he described as “fantastic,” and pointed to a robust pipeline that includes the films Clayface and the series Lanterns, as well as The Batman: Part II.
Entities: DC Studios · David Zaslav · James Gunn · Man of Tomorrow · Millie Alcock · Milly Alcock · Peter Safran · Supergirl (film) · Supergirl (film) · Warner Bros. Discovery
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] James Gunn is focused on the upcoming Superman sequel 'Man of Tomorrow'. (executive comments)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Upcoming DC projects include 'Man of Tomorrow', 'Clayface', 'Lanterns' and 'The Batman: Part II'. (studio roadmap)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Supergirl is the worst‑performing DC film since Jonah Hex (2010) and the lowest‑grossing DC title since Catwoman (2004). (box‑office analysis)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Supergirl's production budget was reported between $170 million and $186 million. (industry reports)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Supergirl earned approximately $126 million worldwide at the box office. (multiple sources)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Including marketing costs, Supergirl needed $300‑$375 million to break even. (analyst estimates)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to lose about $200 million on Supergirl. (industry estimates)
- [● 5 SOURCES] CEO David Zaslav said there will be no change in DC strategy after Supergirl's performance. (earnings‑call remarks)