‘Supergirl’ stumbles with $38 million debut as ‘Toy Story 5’ dominates box office again

Produced on a budget of around $170m before marketing costs, 'Supergirl' faces an uphill battle at global box office

DC Studios' Supergirl has opened below expectations at the North American box office, debuting with an estimated $38 million while Pixar's Toy Story 5 comfortably retained the top spot for a second consecutive weekend.

The superhero film, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, earned $7.8 million in Thursday previews before finishing its opening weekend with $38 million domestically. While enough to secure second place, the result fell short of pre-release forecasts of $45 million to $50 million and marked a significant drop from last year's Superman, which launched the rebooted DC Universe with a $120 million debut.

Produced on a reported budget of around $170 million before marketing costs, Supergirl now faces an uphill battle at the global box office. The film has received mixed reviews from critics and earned a B- CinemaScore from audiences, suggesting word of mouth may not provide the boost Warner Bros. had hoped for.

Meanwhile, Toy Story 5 continued its impressive theatrical run, collecting an estimated $70 million in its second weekend. The Pixar sequel has now crossed the $300 million mark domestically after opening to a record-breaking $160 million last weekend, making it the highest-grossing film of 2026 in North America so far.

Elsewhere, Jackass: Best and Last also struggled in its debut, opening outside the top tier of the weekend chart with a disappointing start. The underwhelming performance adds to a challenging summer for adult-skewing comedies, which have found it difficult to compete against family blockbusters and established franchises.

Despite Supergirl's soft opening, Warner Bros. and DC Studios are expected to continue with their long-term plans for the rebooted cinematic universe. The film's international rollout and its performance over the coming weeks will determine whether it can recover enough ground to justify its sizeable production budget.