“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” barreled past the $500 million mark after five days in release.
The superhero battle royale racked up $12.2 million on Tuesday and a healthy $$20.7 million overseas. That takes its global haul to $501.9 million. The film is playing in nearly every major foreign territory, including China, the world’s second largest market for film.
Critics savaged the film, and “Batman v Superman” currently has a woeful 29% “rotten” ranking on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The film also received a mediocre B CinemaScore, a low grade for a superhero film and one of the worst ratings ever for a film with Batman or Superman. Despite the cool reception, the film continue to put up impressive receipts, and Fandango reports that it is seeing 30% more repeat business than the ticketer usually sees for a blockbuster film, indicating some fans enjoyed the spectacle.
Warner Bros. is counting on “Batman v Superman” to launch a cinematic universe of DC Comics characters, resulting in spin-offs and sequels featuring the two title characters, villains and members of the Justice League. Zack Snyder directed the film, with Ben Affleck donning Batman’s cape and cowl and Henry Cavill slipping into Superman’s spandex.
Despite the critical drubbing, the studio believes that “Batman v Superman” will benefit from a lack of competition at the multiplexes. This weekend brings the faith-based drama “God’s Not Dead 2” and “Meet the Blacks,” but there’s not another big-budget release until Disney’s “The Jungle Book” hits theaters on April 15.
