NEW YORK (AP) – Warner Bros.' newly structured DC movie operations faced a significant challenge this weekend as "Supergirl" struggled to compete with the overwhelming success of "Toy Story 5." The Pixar film dominated the box office, raking in $70 million in the United States and Canada, while also generating $89.1 million internationally. Over two weeks, "Toy Story 5" has quickly amassed a total of $585 million globally, securing its place as one of the year's major cinematic triumphs.

In stark contrast, "Supergirl" debuted to a disappointing $38 million in North American theaters, accumulating an additional $30 million abroad. Directed by Craig Gillespie, this superhero spinoff marks the second film released under the direction of James Gunn and Peter Safran, who took the helm of DC Studios in late 2022. Their first film, "Superman," set a positive tone by grossing $618 million worldwide.

However, "Supergirl" has been met with a lukewarm reception from critics and audiences alike. The film received a subpar score of 56% on Rotten Tomatoes and a mediocre "B-" CinemaScore from viewers. Reports suggest that the film underwent significant cuts after test screenings, contributing to its lackluster performance.

The lackluster debut of "Supergirl" places it behind other recent DC failures, such as "The Flash," which opened with $55 million earlier this year, and "The Green Lantern," which earned $53 million in its 2011 premiere. It narrowly surpassed "Joker: Folie à Deux," which pulled in $37.7 million in 2024.

David A. Gross, an expert from the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe, observed that the superhero genre has lost some of its box office clout since the pre-pandemic era. The overall number of annual superhero releases has decreased, leading to a massive decline of approximately $3.5 billion in box office receipts compared to the genre's peak years of 2017 to 2019.

After significant successes from female-led superhero films like "Wonder Woman" ($822 million in 2017) and "Captain Marvel" ($1.13 billion in 2019), the trend seems to be reversing. Gross comments that while general notions suggest the audience has lost interest, there is no clear understanding of why this change occurred so suddenly. He questions why female superheroes, after initially garnering enthusiasm, are failing to captivate audiences now.

The financial concerns for "Supergirl," which had a production budget of $170 million, come at a time when Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of the studio, prepares for an acquisition by Paramount Skydance. Recently, Paramount’s CEO David Ellison met with Gunn and Safran to discuss potential future projects.

Looking ahead, the next installment in the DC lineup is "Clayface," a horror-themed film set to release in October. Additionally, Gunn's follow-up to "Superman," titled "Man of Tomorrow," is currently in production and is slated for release in July 2027. "Supergirl" features Milly Alcock as the titular character, depicted as a younger cousin of Superman who is characterized more by a party-girl persona than traditional heroism.

The weekend also saw the release of "Jackass: Best and Last," which earned a modest opening of $8.4 million from 2,855 theaters across North America. While this figure is respectable for a film with a production budget of just $10 million, it pales in comparison to the 2022 release "Jackass Forever," which debuted with $23 million.

Meanwhile, Olivia Wilde’s dinner party comedy, "The Invite," managed an impressive per-screen average of $54,158, despite only being shown in seven theaters across New York and Los Angeles, resulting in a total of $379,104. The film features a star-studded cast including Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, and received attention following its favorable premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. It will expand to a wider release on July 10.

Additionally, the micro-budget horror film "Obsession" continued to show strong legs at the box office, securing third place with $9.8 million during its seventh weekend. Made for under $1 million, it has now grossed an impressive total of $233.9 million domestically and $108.9 million internationally. Alternatively, Steven Spielberg's sci-fi thriller "Disclosure Day" slipped to fifth place after earning $8.1 million domestically in its third weekend, bringing its global total to $193.7 million.

The current domestic box office standings, compiled from final figures released Monday, are as follows:

• 1. "Toy Story 5," $70 million.
• 2. "Supergirl," $38 million.
• 3. "Obsession," $9.8 million.
• 4. "Jackass: Best and Last," $8.4 million.
• 5. "Disclosure Day," $8.1 million.
• 6. "Backrooms," $4.3 million.
• 7. "Scary Movie," $3 million.
• 8. "Masters of the Universe," $2.2 million.
• 9. "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity," $2 million.
• 10. "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu," $1.6 million.