Superman Returns Superman Returns made more money than Batman Begins.

[Rocketman]

I didn't know that.
Did you know that?

BATMAN BEGINS:
Budget: $150 million
Domestic: $205,343,774
+ Foreign: $167,366,241
= Worldwide: $372,710,015

SUPERMAN RETURNS:
Production Budget: $270 million
Domestic: $200,081,192
+ Foreign: $191,000,000
= Worldwide:$391,081,192

Domestically, Batman Begins only made 5 million more than Superman Returns.

Superman Returns also has a 76% Certified Fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

I find it shocking that Batman Begins ended up getting a sequel and Superman didn't.

The critics like Superman Returns.
The movie was not a box office failure.
Seems like the general formula for a sequel.
What the hell happened?

 

[cronosred]

Notice the difference in the production budget prices.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

Batman Begins allowed the new franchise to go in any direction it wanted while Superman Returns was continuing a dead series and put it on the road to Whocaresville.

 

[Dangerman]

Notice the difference in the production budget prices.

The production budget is misleading. You have to remember all the failed Superman projects were added to the production budget of Superman Returns. Really Singer had somewhere between 180 to 200.

As for why it didn't get a sequel there were many factors that played into that.

 

[LL2K2]

And yet, one of the more ironic things about SR not getting a sequel is that Warner Bros. did greenlight a sequel in October 2006:

http://www.superherohype.com/features/articles/92119-singers-superman-sequel-deal-confirmed

Variety has confirmed that Bryan Singer has signed a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to direct and produce a sequel to Superman Returns, with Legendary Pictures expected to co-finance.

The film is tentatively intended for release in summer 2009, although the studio stressed that there's not even a script or budget yet.

The sequel is apparently at the very beginning of the development process and, as with any other project, there are any number of factors that must be addressed before it is greenlit.

While Superman Returns wasn't the performer the studio had hoped for, it has earned more than $390 million worldwide and WB and Legendary say they will still turn a profit from the film.

The two companies are sure to insist that the sequel's production budget comes in under $200 million, adds the trade.

In terms of casting, Warner Bros. has an option on Superman Returns star Brandon Routh.

Source: Variety

(The article itself is in the Variety archives, and you need a subscription to view it.)

 

[El Payaso]

Notice the difference in the production budget prices.

Notice that people don't care about budgets, they just go and see the movie.

 

[sf2]

Batman Begins allowed the new franchise to go in any direction it wanted while Superman Returns was continuing a dead series and put it on the road to Whocaresville.

most likely.

n WB didn't have a high confidence lvl in SR .

 

[Mace Dolex]

And yet, one of the more ironic things about SR not getting a sequel is that Warner Bros. did greenlight a sequel in October 2006:

I hate it when studios do that and then change their minds later on, but I think WB still had hopes in that Bryan Singer would deliver a more action driven sequel in fact I think he even mentioned that the sequel would be bigger.

 

[SuperFerret]

Notice that people don't care about budgets, they just go and see the movie.

I agree. I've never been one to put the money up on a pedestal as all important or any such crap, but a higher budget makes the profits smaller. For money made by the movie and not just covering the cost, Batman has more.

 

[Squaremaster316]

While SR made more money during its initial run, BB brought in well over twice as much in home video sales, rentals and television reruns.

 

[Fudgie]

Notice the difference in the production budget prices.

Yeah Begins did better for itself.

 

[Micromind]

The production budget that is quoted for Superman Returns is inflated figure, it is not 270 mil. out of that roughly 70 mil. was cost to the studiowhen they were trying to restart the franchise, in past WB had spent a lot of money in order to get Superman off ground, in the form of failed movie projects like Superman Lives, Superman FlyBy, the actual budget for Superman Returns was around 207 mil.

Out of that Singer did not use the Return to Krypton scene in the actual movie and that scene alone cost 10 mil.

If we look at the number of people who watched Batman Begins and Superman Returns then they are comparable, I know that DVD sales for BB were better than SR, but since we are comparing the Box Office performance of the two movies, that does not count.

 

[Dr.]

If we look at the number of people who watched Batman Begins and Superman Returns then they are comparable...

It’s too bad movie popularity isn’t measured in the same way as books or music – that is, number of “units” (copies or tickets) sold. In this way, you’d know both absolute and relative popularity (an apples-to-apples comparison). What this info wouldn’t tell you is whether the movie was profitable. But even with gross $ figures available, gauging profitability is a very rough guess anyway.

 

[Nevaratoiel]

The problem now is, we can't do anything about it. Unfortunately. I would've like to see a sequel to Superman Returns. I've seen Batman Begins I didn't like it one bit. And I've liked Batman for a long time.... even more than Superman at some point, but that changed quickly after Lois & Clark (though looking back at it now... I cringe. Must've been the times)

 

[Fudgie]

Why didn't you like Batman Begins?

 

[Nevaratoiel]

Several reasons. Just to name a few.

- What's with the voice? Does Batman have some sort of throat infection? (the same problem I had with Dark Knight)
- The whole monster/anger issue.
-The story in general does nothing for me.
- The suit... especially the head piece, how can he move in that! (same problem I had with the Dark Knight)

And a whole bunch of other things, but it's been a while since I've saw it (think... 2005 when it was released)

The only reason I liked Dark Knight more than Batman Begins is because Heath Ledger played an awesome Joker.

 

[Vartha]

Well I loved Batman Begins better than Dark knight.
Nothing against Ledger's joker but Jack's Joker is just not toppable for one.
Dark Knight to ME was just missing something.
Could also be that I knew the landscappers that worked on BB and alot of the Batmobile scenes were film where I was living in Lake county Ill. at the time too. lol

 

[BatmanMoviesFan]

Well I loved Batman Begins better than Dark knight.
Nothing against Ledger's joker but Jack's Joker is just not toppable for one.
Dark Knight to ME was just missing something.
Could also be that I knew the landscappers that worked on BB and alot of the Batmobile scenes were film where I was living in Lake county Ill. at the time too. lol

im curious to what makes jacks joker better than ledgers joker in your eyes.. see for me ledgers joker was magnificent. the sadistic twist to the humor was incredible

 

[uniqueweasel]

I wonder if perhaps promotion had something to do with it too, I only remember a few MTV spots for Batman Begins, where Superman had quite a bit of promotion behind it. As far as the movies go I just simply felt that it didn't feel like a Superman movie. And Batman Begins created a very believable story but still had some weaknesses as some have mentioned.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I absolutely loved SR, it got me into Superman as a character and got me into reading the comics also. I would have loved to see it turn into a franchise and I think Singer would have made an amazing sequel.

Apparently Darkseid was going to be the villain so I think it would have been amazing as he is my favourite Supes villain, a real shame we never got to see it. I am looking forward to MOS at the same time though.

 

[The Morningstar]

im curious to what makes jacks joker better than ledgers joker in your eyes.. see for me ledgers joker was magnificent. the sadistic twist to the humor was incredible

Yea, Jack's Joker had no sadistic humour. I mean, electrocuting a guy to death with a hand buzzer then holding a conversation with the charred corpse isn't disturbing or humorous at all...

 

[elgaz]

I didn't know that.
Did you know that?

BATMAN BEGINS:
Budget: $150 million
Domestic: $205,343,774
+ Foreign: $167,366,241
= Worldwide: $372,710,015

SUPERMAN RETURNS:
Production Budget: $270 million
Domestic: $200,081,192
+ Foreign: $191,000,000
= Worldwide:$391,081,192

Domestically, Batman Begins only made 5 million more than Superman Returns.

Superman Returns also has a 76% Certified Fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

I find it shocking that Batman Begins ended up getting a sequel and Superman didn't.

The critics like Superman Returns.
The movie was not a box office failure.
Seems like the general formula for a sequel.
What the hell happened?

You know those films that get mauled by critics, and/or fare badly at the box office .................... then become cult hits and garner much more success years later? Like Event Horizon, Highlander, The Big Lebowski, Fight Club, Blade Runner, Shawshank Redemption?

I view Superman Returns as the antithesis of that. It actually did well critically and financially, all things considered, but as time has passed people have gone completely off the film.

I'm one of them. Saw it at the cinema in 2006, loved it ........ now I can barely sit through it. I think there was a craving amongst the general public (and fans) for a Superman film after a 25yr hiatius, and when it finally appeared, people went mad for it. It was very 'new' to everyone. The film had some powerful scenes (the plane save, the stabbing, lifting New Kryton and sacrificing himself at the end) which made a bit of an impact on your first viewing.

The film just doesn't hold up to repeat viewings though; you start to realise the whole superkid plotline is a bit silly, as is Luthor's real estate scam, and Routh/Bosworth lack any chemistry and both come across a bit wooden. And I'm only skimming the surface there in terms of what I don't like about it now.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

You know those films that get mauled by critics, and/or fare badly at the box office .................... then become cult hits and garner much more success years later? Like Event Horizon, Highlander, The Big Lebowski, Fight Club, Blade Runner, Shawshank Redemption?

I view Superman Returns as the antithesis of that. It actually did well critically and financially, all things considered, but as time has passed people have gone completely off the film.

I'm one of them. Saw it at the cinema in 2006, loved it ........ now I can barely sit through it. I think there was a craving amongst the general public (and fans) for a Superman film after a 25yr hiatius, and when it finally appeared, people went mad for it. It was very 'new' to everyone. The film had some powerful scenes (the plane save, the stabbing, lifting New Kryton and sacrificing himself at the end) which made a bit of an impact on your first viewing.

The film just doesn't hold up to repeat viewings though; you start to realise the whole superkid plotline is a bit silly, as is Luthor's real estate scam, and Routh/Bosworth lack any chemistry and both come across a bit wooden. And I'm only skimming the surface there in terms of what I don't like about it now.

Funnily enough I am the opposite, I liked SR when I first watched it in the cinema, through repeat viewings at the cinema and on DVD and eventually blu-ray I have grown to love the movie, I still do. I dont watch it as frequently as I used to, but I do that with all movies after so many viewings. But every now and then I'll get them out to watch, SR is the same, even though I have noticed the flaws in the movie upon subsequent viewings also.

 

[bonoferox]

The film just doesn't hold up to repeat viewings though; you start to realise the whole superkid plotline is a bit silly, as is Luthor's real estate scam, and Routh/Bosworth lack any chemistry and both come across a bit wooden. And I'm only skimming the surface there in terms of what I don't like about it now.

That doesn't necessarily hold true for everyone. I loved it back on opening night in 2006 and still enjoy watching it today. I don't find it perfect and of course it has faults, but I still liked what Singer did and would have loved to have seen him continue the story further.

 

[elgaz]

Obviously I'm generalising here - everyone has their own opinions on the film, but from reading the Hype forums over the last few years there's more dissatisfaction with SR than there is satisfaction.