FRIDAY MIDDAY UPDATE: Marvel Studios and Disney’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps is currently performing similarly to DC’s Superman in its debut, with an estimated $56 million for Friday and a projected three-day total of about $125M.
Family films often see increased walk-up business on Saturdays, which could benefit the Matt Shakman-directed flick. We will keep an eye on the changing demographics over the weekend. Superman attracted 31% of families (9% under 12), while Fantastic Four garnered 7% of kids under 12 last night, with a general audience score of 93%, based on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak. Notably, 70% of the audience last night was under 35, compared to 66% for Superman. The Friday total involves $24.4M from previews.
Audience exit polls are favorable, showing a 70% recommendation rate from general viewers and 70% from children under 12.
FRIDAY AM UPDATE: Following Thursday’s exclusive report, Marvel Studios and Disney’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps surpassed DC’s Superman in preview earnings, bringing in a studio-reported $24.4 million.
This figure outstrips MCU’s Captain Marvel ($20.7M), which ended its Friday at $61.7M and a three-day total of $153.4M. The previews also closely mirror Captain America: Civil War, which had a $25M Thursday before reaching $75.5M on Friday, leading to a $179.1M opening weekend.
The movie appears set to outperform the previous Fox-Marvel movie, Fantastic Four (2015), which debuted to $25.6M. Projections earlier in the week indicated a potential opening range of $100M-$110M for this latest MCU installment.
In terms of marketing, Disney spent less on Fantastic Four compared to Warner Bros’ expenditure on Superman, with ad impressions for Fantastic Four hitting 950 million households. The top ad placements included NBA games (17.7%), Good Morning America (3.5%), and others. This is an important factor with audiences responding positively on social media, further driving interest in the film.
PREVIOUS EXCLUSIVE, Thursday PM: Contrary to rumors, superhero films are thriving, with Disney/Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps grossing around $23 million in previews that commenced at 2 p.m. The film, directed by Matt Shakman, is projected to exceed the initial domestic outlook of $100M-$110M.
