Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 maintained its box office dominance this weekend, earning an estimated $72.5 million in its second frame, while Warner Bros.’ Supergirl debuted in second place with a disappointing $40 million. The superhero film, directed by Craig Gillespie, struggled to gain traction with audiences, receiving a B- CinemaScore.
Supergirl Struggles to Launch in DC Studios’ Slate
Despite significant anticipation surrounding the second major project under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, Supergirl faced a challenging opening weekend. The film, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, grossed $18 million on Friday, including Thursday previews, and is projected to finish the frame at $40 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This performance falls short of initial tracking, which had suggested a higher opening range.
The film’s reception has been lukewarm, with a B- CinemaScore—a rating that Deadline noted is lower than previous DC entries like The Flash and Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Audience data from PostTrak indicated a split in sentiment: while 62% of women gave the film a “definite recommend,” only 45% of men did the same. The CinemaScore metric is a critical industry barometer, as it measures audience satisfaction immediately following a screening; a B- grade often suggests that word-of-mouth may be insufficient to drive long-term legs at the box office.
The stakes are high for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, as this project serves as a foundational pillar for the rebooted DC Universe (DCU). With a production budget estimated at $170 million, the film requires significant global returns to reach profitability. The studio’s strategy has involved integrating specific character threads that connect Kara Zor-El’s journey to the larger narrative arc overseen by Gunn and Safran, but the opening figures suggest that casual moviegoers may be experiencing fatigue regarding interconnected universe-building.
Toy Story 5 Continues Strong Performance
In contrast to the turbulence facing the DC feature, Toy Story 5 continues to demonstrate significant staying power. Following a record-breaking $160 million opening weekend—the largest for 2026 thus far—the animated sequel is expected to reach a domestic total of approximately $300 million. The film, directed by Andrew Stanton and co-director Kenna Harris, saw an estimated 55 percent drop in its second weekend, a standard decline for high-performing family tentpoles.
The success of the film has helped Disney cross the $3 billion mark at the global box office as of June 25, 2026, marking the first studio to reach that milestone this year, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. This milestone highlights Disney’s continued reliance on established intellectual property (IP) to anchor its theatrical slate. For Pixar, Toy Story 5 represents a return to its most lucrative franchise, validating the studio’s decision to revisit long-running series in a competitive landscape where original IP has struggled to match the financial performance of legacy sequels.
Creative Choices and Audience Expectations
The narrative of Supergirl, based on the graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, aimed for a distinct, filmmaker-driven tone. However, industry analysis suggests the film struggled to differentiate itself from familiar genre tropes. Critics have pointed to the movie’s “hackneyed space western narrative” and its reliance on a “diminutive” scope compared to the wider DC Universe, according to Salon.com.
“Man of Tomorrow.”
— DC Studios, via Salon.com
The film’s reliance on its connection to the broader DCU—specifically the upcoming Superman sequel—appears to have hampered its ability to stand independently. As noted by DC Comics, the film is rich with “universe-building” Easter eggs, including references to the character Lobo, first introduced in 1983, and various nods to Kryptonian lore. While these elements may appeal to long-time fans, they have not translated into the broad-based appeal required for a $170 million budget production. The challenge for studios currently remains balancing the demands of superfans who seek deep-lore integration with the need to attract general audiences who may be unfamiliar with the source material’s history.
Other Weekend Performers
The broader box office landscape this weekend showcased a mix of genre-driven films and established prestige projects:
- Disclosure Day: The Universal/Amblin UFO film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is expected to gross $7.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $94 million. Spielberg’s involvement continues to be a draw for older demographics, providing a steady stream of revenue for Universal Pictures.
- Obsession: The Focus Features horror title is tracking for a $9.4 million frame, maintaining a strong run with a 30 percent decline. Horror remains one of the most reliable genres for theatrical exhibition, often requiring lower marketing spends while maintaining consistent audience attendance.
- Jackass: Best and Last: Paramount’s comedy entry is eyeing just under $10 million domestically, benefiting from a modest $10 million budget. This underscores the viability of low-cost, high-engagement content in a market that is increasingly focused on the profit margins of mid-budget films.
The industry is now looking toward October, when DC Studios will release its next project, the body horror film Clayface, to see if the studio can regain momentum following the mixed results of Supergirl. This release will be a pivotal test for the DCU’s brand identity, as the studio attempts to diversify its output beyond traditional superhero fare to include darker, genre-specific entries.
