Superman took off at the box office, scoring $217 million on its opening weekend despite backlash from conservative commentators.
Director James Gunn’s comments that the Man of Steel was “an immigrant” sparked ire on Fox News and online, with some calling the movie Superwoke. But reviews were largely positive (with several high-profile exceptions) and the criticism kept it in the news, possibly boosting ticket sales.
The strong performance is good news for its studio, Warner Bros., which had been on a bad run. Speculation had mounted that senior studio leaders would lose their jobs, but since April the company has had five big hits, including A Minecraft Movie and Sinners, and is feeling bullish once more.
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