Two weeks out from its March 25, 2016 release, the film is outpacing box-office behemoths like Deadpool, The Avengers, and Furious 7, which opened to the tune of $132.4 million, $207.4 million, and $147.1 million, respectively. All three of those films have broken box-office records and the last two on the list rank in the top six in terms of all-time box office gross.
Sure, it’s still early, but If you were to race Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis, and Michael Johnson, and you immediately sprinted out to a lead, you’d feel pretty darn good about yourself.
If Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman generates anything north of $152 million on its opening weekend, it will claim the crown for the biggest pre-summer opening weekend of all-time and — at this point — that’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
Though the hard numbers aren’t yet available, one Warner Bros. analyst estimates the film has already generated between $20 and $25 million, a figure that is comparable to the advanced ticket sales for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, which posted a $160 million opening weekend. Driving these early figures are males aged 14-49, who make up a disproportionate chunk of the advance purchases.
All along, the buzz around this film has been akin to the energy surrounding a big-time heavyweight fight and it’s not surprising that the hype is now translating into big bucks. While only time will tell if the film can sustain these massive numbers throughout its theatrical run, the early returns — as a CNN political analyst might say — are looking very good.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters March 25, 2016. Stay tuned for updates.
