Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

"Dawn of Justice" redirects here. For the Colombian film "Dawn of Justice", see Garras de oro.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The two titular heroes, Batman and Superman, are confronting each other, with the film's logo behind them, and the film's title, credits, release date and billing below. Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Zack Snyder
Written by	Chris Terrio David S. Goyer
Produced by	Charles Roven Deborah Snyder
Starring	Ben Affleck Henry Cavill Amy Adams Jesse Eisenberg Diane Lane Laurence Fishburne Jeremy Irons Holly Hunter Gal Gadot
Cinematography	Larry Fong
Edited by	David Brenner
Music by	Hans Zimmer Junkie XL
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	March 19, 2016 (2016-03-19) (Auditorio Nacional) March 25, 2016 (2016-03-25) (United States)
Running time	151 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$250 million
Box office	$682.9 million

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film featuring the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. Directed by Zack Snyder and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film is a follow-up to 2013's Man of Steel and is the second installment in the DC Extended Universe. Its screenplay was written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, and the film stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter and Gal Gadot. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature both Batman and Superman, as well as the first theatrical film to feature live-action portrayals of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor, obsessed with defeating Superman, manipulates Batman into preemptively battling him.

The film was announced at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International, after the release of Man of Steel. Snyder stated that the film would take inspiration from the Batman comic book series The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, but clarified that it would follow an original premise. The incarnation of Batman in the film would also be different than the character's portrayal in the previous Batman film trilogy, serving as a cinematic reboot of the character. The film also draws influence from the "Death of Superman" story arc. Pre-production began at East Los Angeles College in October 2013, with principal photography starting in May 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. Additional filming also took place in Chicago.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiered at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on March 19, 2016. It was released in the United States on March 25, 2016, in 2D, 3D, IMAX 3D, 4DX, premium large formats and 70 mm prints. The film opened with a record-breaking national and international box office, while receiving a lukewarm reception from critics. It experienced a notable record-breaking weekend box-office decline in the subsequent week despite not "facing any big competition at the box office."

Plot

Eighteen months after the destructive battle with General Zod in Metropolis (Man of Steel), Superman has become a controversial figure. Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego, has moved in with Lois Lane. Billionaire Bruce Wayne, who has operated in Gotham City as Batman for nearly two decades, sees Superman as a potential threat to humanity. After learning of Batman's activities, Superman also views him as a threat, and seeks to stop him via the Daily Planet articles under his disguise.

Wayne learns that weapon trafficker Anatoli Knyazev has been contacting LexCorp's mogul Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, Luthor tries to convince Senator June Finch to allow him to import kryptonite retrieved from the Indian Ocean (results of Zod's terraforming attempt), claiming to use it as a "deterrent" against Kryptonians. He also makes side dealings with Finch's subordinate and demands access to Zod's body and the Kryptonian scout ship. In the next meeting with Luthor, Finch denies his request.

Wayne attends Luthor's party at LexCorp, where he meets mysterious antiques dealer Diana Prince, and retrieves data from the company's mainframe. The data drive, however, is stolen by Diana, who later returns it to Bruce, due to her inability to decrypt the data. While decrypting the drive at the Batcave, Wayne receives a vision of a post-apocalyptic world, where he leads a group of rebels against Superman. He is snapped out of the vision by a mysterious time traveler, who warns him of Lois Lane's crucial role in the distant future, and urges him to find "the others". Wayne later realizes that Lex is not only experimenting with kryptonite, but also investigating metahumans. One of them is Diana herself, who is an immortal warrior. Wayne admits to Alfred Pennyworth that he plans to steal the Kryptonite to weaponize it, should it become necessary to fight Superman. Batman pursues the convoy carrying the kryptonite from the White Portuguese ship to LexCorp, but Superman intercedes and orders him to cease his activities.

Luthor orchestrates a bombing at a congressional hearing, where Finch is questioning Superman on the validity of his actions. The bomb kills dozens of people, including Finch. Frustrated with failing to save people, Superman goes into self-imposed exile. Batman breaks into LexCorp and steals the kryptonite, in preparation to battle Superman by building a powerful exoskeleton and creating a kryptonite-powered riot gun and a kryptonite-tipped spear. Meanwhile, Luthor enters the Kryptonian ship and learns of its functions, as well as recorded alien worlds.

Luthor kidnaps and holds hostage Martha Kent, Clark's adoptive mother. He reveals that he has been sending messages to Batman and Superman to heighten their animosity towards each other. Luthor forces Superman to fight and kill Batman, in exchange for Martha's life. Superman tries to reason with Batman, but Batman initiates the fight and eventually gains the upper hand. Before Batman can kill Superman with the spear, Superman urges Batman to "save Martha", whose name is also shared with Wayne's late mother. Lois arrives and explains the situation. Upon learning of Luthor's plan, Batman leaves to rescue Martha, while Superman confronts Luthor on the scout ship. Luthor unleashes a monstrous creature made from Zod's body mixed with Luthor's DNA. Superman, Batman and Diana join forces to fight the creature, but are outmatched by its ability to absorb energy. Realizing that it is vulnerable to kryptonite, Superman retrieves the kryptonite spear and impales the creature, while it stabs him with its bone protrusions, killing Superman.

Luthor is arrested and imprisoned. Facing Batman in prison, he gloats that Superman's death has made the world vulnerable to powerful alien threats. A memorial is held for Superman in Metropolis. Clark is also declared dead and Wayne, Lane, Martha, and Diana attend a private funeral for him in Smallville. Martha passes an envelope to Lane, which contains an engagement ring from Clark. After the funeral, Wayne reveals to Diana that he plans to form a team of metahumans, starting from the ones from Luthor's files, to protect the world in Superman's absence. After they leave, a faint heartbeat echoes from Clark's coffin and the dirt around it begins to levitate.

Cast

• Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman: A billionaire socialite and owner of Wayne Enterprises who dedicates himself to protect Gotham City from its criminal underworld as a highly trained, masked vigilante. Brandon Spink portrays a young Bruce Wayne
• Henry Cavill as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman: A Kryptonian survivor and a journalist for the Daily Planet who uses his superhuman abilities to protect the Earth.
• Amy Adams as Lois Lane: a reporter for the Daily Planet and love interest of Clark Kent.
• Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor: A sophisticated young businessman and hereditary CEO of LexCorp who is fixated on defeating who he considers as his archenemy, Superman.
• Diane Lane as Martha Kent: Clark’s adoptive mother.
• Laurence Fishburne as Perry White: the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet and Clark and Lois' boss.
• Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth: Bruce Wayne's butler, chief of security and trusted confidant.
• Holly Hunter as June Finch: the United States Junior Senator from Kentucky.
• Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman: a 5,000-year-old Amazonian princess, and daughter of Zeus.
• Scoot McNairy as Wallace Keefe, an employee of Wayne Enterprises who is injured during the destruction of Metropolis and becomes a pawn in Lex's plan.
• Callan Mulvey as Anatoli Knyazev, a terrorist who works for Luthor.
• Tao Okamoto as Mercy Graves, Luthor's assistant.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan portray Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce Wayne's deceased parents, Patrick Wilson portrays the President of the United States in a voice role, Michael Cassidy portrays Jimmy Olsen, a CIA agent, and Robin Atkin Downes portrays Doomsday through motion-capture and voice-over work. Reprising their roles from Man of Steel are Harry Lennix as Secretary Calvin Swanwick, Kevin Costner as the now-deceased Jonathan Kent, Christina Wren as Major Carrie Farris, and Carla Gugino as the Kryptonian A.I. Kelor. The corpse of the now-deceased General Zod also appears in the film in a crucial role, however, Michael Shannon did not film any scenes for the film and his corpse was created using the physique of fitness model Greg Plitt and a head-shot of Shannon.

Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller appear as Victor Stone / Cyborg, Arthur Curry / Aquaman and Barry Allen / The Flash respectively in cameo appearances, which will lead into their inclusion in the Justice League film. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy makes a cameo appearance as Senator Purrington. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Soledad O'Brien, Anderson Cooper, Nancy Grace and Charlie Rose appear as themselves. Jena Malone was cast as Barbara Gordon, but her scenes were cut from the theatrical release and will appear in the "Ultimate Edition" home media release.

Production

Further information: Batman in film § Batman vs. Superman, and Superman in film § Batman vs. Superman (2001–2002)

Development

"... after Man of Steel finished and we started talking about what would be in the next movie, I started subtly mentioning that it would be cool if he faced Batman... You're in a story meeting talking about, like, who should [Superman] fight if he fought this giant alien threat Zod who was basically his equal physically, from his planet, fighting on our turf... You know, who to fight next?... But I'm not gonna say at all that when I took the job to do Man of Steel that I did it in a subversive way to get to Batman. I really believe that only after contemplating who could face [Superman] did Batman come into the picture."

— Snyder, on how Batman came into the film

In June 2013, Warner Bros. announced that director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer would return for a Man of Steel sequel, with the studio considering a 2015 release for the film. The following month, Snyder confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con International that the sequel to Man of Steel would feature Superman and Batman meeting for the first time in a cinematic format. Goyer and Snyder would co-write the story, with Goyer authoring the script, and Christopher Nolan involved in an advisory role as executive producer. According to Snyder, the film would take inspiration from the comic The Dark Knight Returns.

In November 2013, Snyder clarified that the film would not be based on the graphic novel. "If you were going to do that, you would need a different Superman. We’re bringing Batman into the universe that now this Superman lives in." Batman v Superman marks the first appearance of Wonder Woman in a live-action, theatrical film, which Warner Bros. had been developing as far back as 1996. In December 2013, Chris Terrio was hired to rewrite the script, due to Goyer's commitments to other projects. Terrio had previously collaborated with Affleck on Argo.

The film's official title, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, was revealed in May 2014. Snyder stated that having the "v" in the title instead of "vs." was a way "to keep it from being a straight 'versus' movie, even in the most subtle way". Henry Cavill later stated, "I wouldn't call this a Superman sequel [...] This is Batman versus Superman. It's a separate entity altogether. It's introducing the Batman character and expanding upon the universe, which was kicked off by Man of Steel." Forbes noted that although the film originated as a sequel to Man of Steel, it was "revamped into a backdoor pilot for Justice League and/or an eventual stand-alone Batman movie."

Casting

From left: Zack Snyder (director), Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con

Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Harry Lennix and Christina Wren reprise their roles from Man of Steel. Joining the cast are Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Tao Okamoto as Luthor's assistant Mercy Graves. Scoot McNairy, Callan Mulvey, and Jena Malone were cast in unspecified roles.

Dawn of Justice is Affleck's second film as a comic book superhero; he played Daredevil in the 2003 film of the same name, and was initially reluctant to accept playing Batman, citing that he "felt [I] didn't fit the traditional mold. But once Zack showed me the concept, and that it would be both different from the great movies that Chris[topher Nolan] and Christian [Bale] made, but still in keeping with tradition, I was excited." Affleck previously stated in 2006 that Daredevil had "inoculated myself from ever playing another superhero".

Snyder also felt that casting an older Batman would be a layered juxtaposition to a younger Superman, while "bear[ing] the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain[ing] the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne." Nolan was involved with the casting of Affleck and he was the first actor Snyder approached for the part. The director had also discussed the part with Josh Brolin. Bale admitted he wanted to play Batman again after The Dark Knight Rises, though he stated that his Batman does not belong in any other film and he was never approached by Warner Bros. to play the role again.

Snyder commented on casting Eisenberg as Luthor, "Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions". Olga Kurylenko was considered for the role of Wonder Woman before Gadot was cast. Producer Charles Roven revealed that this incarnation of Wonder Woman would use the character's origins in The New 52, wherein the character would be a demigoddess, and the daughter of Zeus. This deviates from the character's original origins, where she was "a clay figure brought to life by the gods". Dawn of Justice is Ray Fisher's feature film debut, and the first live-action film to feature Cyborg, whose role will become more significant in future DC Comics films. It is also the live-action theatrical debut of Aquaman.

The casting of Affleck, Gadot, and Eisenberg was criticized. Affleck's casting caused significant backlash from comic book fans, with multiple online petitions demanding his removal from the role; unlike previous Batman actors, he was not considered intimidating enough for the role by the protestors. Via social media, fans criticized Gadot's small frame in contrast to Wonder Woman's warrior-like build in the comics. Responding to this, Gadot stated that she had been participating in various training regimens to achieve a body that stays closer to the source material. Fans also criticized Eisenberg's casting, feeling that the then-30-year-old was too young for the role, and not physically imposing enough.

Design

Michael Wilkinson reprised his duties as costume designer. He updated the Superman suit from Man of Steel slightly so that it "feels fresh and right for this installment of Zack Snyder's comic-book universe". The first Batsuit featured in the film is influenced by the one seen in The Dark Knight Returns; unlike the suits seen in previous live-action Batman films, it is made of cloth instead of armor and is a cast of the physique of fitness model Rossano Rea. An image of the Wonder Woman costume was revealed at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con, in which the costume desaturates the red, blue, and gold colors that make up the costume of most versions of the character.

A second Bat-suit was also unveiled at Comic-Con, and unlike the first, it is armored. Aquaman's look in this film, unlike most versions of the character which show him in a bright orange and green wetsuit, shows him "tattooed in Maori-like patterns", and wearing a suit "decked out in shades of gold, black and silver armor". According to the Warner Bros. Studios lot, the next generation Batmobile combined inspiration from both the sleek, streamlined design of classic Batmobiles and the high-suspension, military build from the more recent Tumbler from the Dark Knight Trilogy. Designed by production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, the Batmobile is about 20 feet long and 12 feet wide.

Filming

In September 2013, Larry Fong joined the crew as cinematographer, having previously worked with Zack Snyder in 300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch. Initial filming commenced on October 19, 2013, at East Los Angeles College, to shoot an American football game between Gotham City University and rival Metropolis State University. At the end of the month, construction began on the Kent farm seen in Man of Steel for the film. Principal photography involving the main cast of the film began on May 19, 2014, in Detroit, Michigan, with scenes featuring Gal Gadot as Diana Prince being filmed early on May 16.

Additional filming began in Chicago, Illinois in November 2014. Other locations included the Michigan Motion Picture Studios, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, Yorkville, Illinois, and New Mexico. Sequences of the film, including a scene depicting the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents, were filmed using IMAX cameras. The planned shoot in Morocco was shifted to New Mexico due to incidents related to the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Principal photography wrapped on December 5, 2014.

Music

Main article: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (soundtrack)

Hans Zimmer returned from Man of Steel to compose the film score, emphasizing a challenge to not reuse the themes he established with the Batman character from Christopher Nolan's trilogy. Junkie XL, who provided additional music in Man of Steel, also returned for this film, helping to compose the theme for Batman. Originally, Zimmer enlisted Junkie XL to compose the Batman material, with Zimmer planning to focus solely on the Superman side of the score, but the final Batman theme was written by both composers as a collaboration. Zimmer noted that he had significant trouble in finding a new angle from which to tell the story , and after the movie's release announced that he was "retiring" from superhero movies. The soundtrack album for the score was released on March 18, 2016, via the Water Tower Music label.

Release

In January 2014, Warner Bros. announced that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was delayed from its original release date of July 17, 2015, and moved to May 6, 2016, in order to give the filmmakers "time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story." The release date was moved once again in August 2014 from May 6, 2016, to March 25, 2016, with a Warner Bros. insider saying the studio was "not flinching" in regards to the previous opening date being on the same day as Marvel Studios' Captain America: Civil War, but instead stating that March 2016 was a "fantastic corridor" for them. According to sources obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. considered the possibility of having a 70mm release for the film, which was partially shot in the 65mm IMAX format.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiered at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on March 19, 2016, followed by a New York City premiere on March 20 at Radio City Music Hall. Following the Brussels attacks, Warner Bros. originally cancelled the red carpet of the London premiere, but decided to carry on with the premiere for the fans. The film was released in the United States and the United Kingdom on March 25 in 3D. It opened simultaneously in North America, China and Japan, the world's three largest film markets, as well as additional international territories, with the exception of Poland, where theaters do not open on Good Friday. The film debuted simultaneously across 30,000 screens in nearly every major foreign territory across 61 markets, including China, with domestic open across roughly 4,242 locations of which 3,500 theaters (85%) were in 3D, 390 IMAX screens, 470 PLF locations, 150 D-Box theaters and ten 70 mm prints.

Marketing

File:Batman v Superman costumes SDCC 2015.jpg

The Batman and Superman costumes from the film at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.

An estimated $165 million marketing effort helped promote Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. At the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International, Snyder introduced the film's first footage intended to be exclusive to the event. A teaser trailer was scheduled to be screened in selected cinemas on April 20, 2015. However, on April 16, the trailer leaked online, and within a few hours Snyder officially released the trailer to Twitter. At the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International, Snyder and the cast attended to present an initial trailer of the film. The trailer was, unlike the teaser, which received mixed response, positively received by attendees, who gave the trailer a standing ovation. Mark Hughes of Forbes said the trailers "both set the stage for a story about the world’s distrust and fear of Superman, Batman’s rage at Superman and intention to duke it out with the Man of Steel, and Wonder Woman’s participation in a big fight featuring the 'Trinity.'"

Warner Bros. Consumer Products partnered-up with "a powerhouse slate of global licensees for a broad, multi-category licensing and merchandising program", including Mattel, Lego, Rubies, Funko, Thinkway Toys, Hot Toys, Junkfood, Bioworld, Pez, Seiko, Converse and among many other licensees to sell merchandise related to the film. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was also a licensee for the film, offering a special edition Jeep Renegade in exchange for a near-exclusive product placement deal; aside from Bruce Wayne's Aston Martin, all vehicles in the film were either from Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, or Iveco. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Cross Fire, an original companion novel tied to the film, telling a tie-in story set before the events of the movie, was published by Scholastic Corporation.

A five-issue comic-book prelude exploring what happened in the weeks and months leading up to the events of the film was released as a tie-in with Dr Pepper's character-branded bottles. Also, there are a series of four minicomics found in Batman v Superman-branded General Mills cereals. Additionally, those who purchased Batman v Superman-themed Doritos Family Fun Mix at Walmart received the comic book prequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Upstairs/Downstairs. Rocksteady Studios released a downloadable content for the video game Batman: Arkham Knight that featured the Batmobile and Batsuit from the film.

The third trailer debuted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on December 3, 2015. It received positive responses, with Scott Mendelson of Forbes calling the trailer a "Saturday morning cartoon nerd’s wildest dreams." Molly Driscoll of CS Monitor stated that it looks like the film "will continue the trend of adapting comic book stories as timely tales." Graeme McMillan of The Hollywood Reporter noted that based on the trailer's content, the film might be the anti-Civil War, referring to Marvel's Captain America: Civil War as "Superman and Batman complete the comic book trope by overcoming their differences to fight a common foe, alongside a third hero, who saves them both — that feels the most fresh, especially in light of the Civil War trailer. While that ended with a showdown between three heroes, this trailer moves beyond that to show three heroes standing united." However, some criticised it exactly for revealing that, with Rob Tornoe of NewsWorks pointing out that this trailer was targeting the "broadest audience" rather than just fans, as studios try to "maximize a film's opening day box office."

An advertisement for the film on Turkish Airlines' Boeing 777 300-ER at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

Warner Bros. did not buy a Super Bowl 50 commercial; instead, they worked with Turkish Airlines to put together a pair of Batman v Superman-themed airline commercials. McMillan of The Hollywood Reporter stated that the spots "inform interested parties about the culture, geography and history of Batman and Superman's individual stomping grounds, each one filled with Easter eggs for the comic book faithful and newcomer alike." Jesse Eisenberg's part as Lex Luthor in these commercials was praised, as Dirk Libbey of CinemaBlend noted that "he matches up well with Bruce Wayne by playing the welcoming billionaire business man. It's a far cry from the somewhat cartoonish villain we’ve seen in the clips from the film."

The final trailer was released on February 11, 2016, which was described as "intense" by Kwame Opam of The Verge. Mendelson of Forbes felt that Warner Bros. "probably wouldn’t have even dropped this one had the prior trailer back in December been received better. So now we have this fourth and final sell, and at least they are going out on a high note." Jonathon Dornbush of Entertainment Weekly said that the footage "works to establish Batman as his own independent crime fighting force, while also providing a deeper look at his existential struggle against Superman."

In February 2016, Warner Bros. and Doritos formed a partnership, creating a website offering fans the opportunity to enter codes found on Doritos purchases branded with the film's logo, and enter to win movie tickets, tech toys, and a trip the premiere in New York. Warner Bros also partnered with Omaze to give fans who donated a chance to win "The Ultimate Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Experience", while benefiting three nonprofit organizations nominated by Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Jesse Eisenberg. "The Ultimate Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Experience" offered a fan and their friend the chance to win tickets to the premiere of the film, as well as fly on a helicopter with Cavill or ride in the Batmobile with Affleck. Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drove cars based on Superman and Batman respectively, at Auto Club Speedway on March 20, 2016.

Home media

An Ultimate Edition of the film featuring extended content will be released on home media. The version received an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, for more violence than the PG-13 rated theatrical cut, and will be 30 minutes longer than the theatrical version. It was announced that the Blu-ray will be released on July 16, 2016 with both a PG-13 and R rating versions.

Reception

Box office

The film grossed $166 million in North America in its opening weekend, the seventh biggest opening of all-time, ahead of The Dark Knight Rises' $160.9 million. The film had a worldwide opening of $422.5 million, which stands as the biggest opening for a superhero film, the second biggest for Warner Bros. and the fourth biggest of all-time. It became just the fourth film to have a global opening above $400 million. It also had an IMAX worldwide opening weekend total of $36 million from 945 IMAX screens, the third biggest ever, behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($48 million) and Jurassic World ($44 million). However, both inside and outside of the United States, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice experienced a notable poor Friday-to-Sunday hold and set a new record for the worst Friday-to-Sunday drop for a superhero movie release in modern box office history with a 58% decline, which was previously held by Fantastic Four. In its second weekend, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice experienced a notable, record-breaking 81.2% box-office decline "which is one of the biggest Friday-to-Friday drops any blockbuster has ever seen" and an overall "68.2% drop" for the weekend despite not "facing any big competition at the box office." Brad Brevet, writing for Box Office Mojo, reported, "it appeared Batman v Superman was looking at a drop anywhere from 58-68% and it ended up settling in on the wrong side of those expectations." Scott Mendelson, writing for Forbes, said of the film's box office decline, "Whether or not the movie is any good, and whether or not audiences respond to the picture, is best measured by the second and third weekends...Yes, we’re still talking about a $15.35 million second Friday and a $50m+ second weekend, but in terms of legs, this film sadly doesn’t seem to have any."

With a production budget of $250 million, after rebates and tax incentives and a marketing budget of around $150–160 million, Variety estimates that the film needs to earn $800 million to recoup its investment. One media analyst, quoted by the magazine, said that given the costs and need to launch a series of future films, "anything under $1 billion in worldwide box office will be a disappointment." In the weeks leading up to the film's release, advance ticket sales outpaced The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and Furious 7. Worldwide, it was estimated to gross between $300–340 million in over 35,000 screens in its opening weekend. It passed the $50 million mark in IMAX ticket sales on its second weekend, grossing a total of $53.4 million from 571 IMAX screens.

As of April 3, 2016, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has grossed $261.5 million in North America and $421.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $682.9 million.

North America

Following reports of pre-tickets sales in both the United States and Canada on February 29, many insiders and analysts predicted an opening weekend haul between $120–140 million for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with some projecting as high as $185 million. However, Warner Bros. insiders were more conservative in their estimates projecting in the lower range of $110 million. According to Deadline.com, an undisclosed rival studio box office analyst indicated that if the film is truly pacing in tandem with The Dark Knight Rises, then Dawn of Justice could possibly be looking at a $180 million+ debut. The film also became Fandango's top pre-selling superhero film ever, beating The Dark Knight Rises and Avengers: Age of Ultron, representing 90% of the site's weekend's ticket sales. A survey carried out showed that the introduction of Wonder Woman is a primary draw for moviegoers. It pre-sold around $20–25 million worth of advance tickets. Dawn of Justice made $27.7 million in Thursday previews from around 3,800 theaters which is the biggest of 2016, the biggest Easter weekend preview (breaking Furious 7's record), the second-biggest for a superhero film (behind The Dark Knight Rises), and the seventh-biggest of all time of which $3.6 million came from IMAX showings, also a new record for Easter weekend. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. It earned "B–" from men, "B" from women, a "B from under–25 and a "B–" from those over 25.

On its opening day, it earned $81.59 million from 4,242 theaters, including previews, marking the biggest pre-summer opening day of all time, the second-biggest superhero Friday opening and the fourth-biggest opening day and fourth-biggest single-day gross, with $9 million coming from IMAX showings. Excluding the Thursday previews, it earned $53.89 million on Friday which is the fifth-biggest ever. It fell 37.8% on Saturday, which is the second worst superhero opening Friday-to-Saturday drop, only behind the 40% drop of The Dark Knight Rises. In total, it earned $166 million for its debut weekend, setting records for the biggest March and pre-summer opening (breaking The Hunger Games' record), the biggest Easter opening (breaking Furious 7's record), the second biggest opening for Warner Bros., the biggest for a DC Comics property (breaking The Dark Knight Rises' record), and the seventh-biggest opening of all time. Conversely, the film holds the record for the worst superhero Friday-to-Sunday drop with a 58% decline, eclipsing the previous 48% decline record held by Fantastic Four in 2015. IMAX comprised 11% or $18 million of the weekend's gross from 388 theaters which is the fifth biggest of all time (a record it shares with Age of Ultron) and 3D represented 40% ($68 million) of the total ticket sales. RealD 3D comprised $47 million of the opening gross. Premium large formats generated $17.6 million (10%), with $3.6 million of that coming from Cinemark XD auditoriums from 475 theaters.

Following its record breaking opening weekend, it posted the biggest March Monday with $15.05 million, a drop of 55% from its Sunday gross. This broke The Hunger Games' previous record of $10.8 million, and also the biggest March Tuesday with $12.2 million. It made $209 million in its first week full which stands at the eleventh biggest opening week of all time and surpassed the lifetime total Batman Begins. Despite earning $15.35 million in its second Friday, the film dropped 81.2% and broke the record for the biggest Friday-to-Friday drop for a comic book adaptation film, not including $27.7 million worth of previews which represented an even larger decline. It fell by 68.4% in its second weekend, grossing $52.3 million from 4,256 theaters (an addition of 14 cinemas) due to poor reviews and mixed word of mouth, establishing itself an infamous record for the seventh steepest drop for a superhero/comic book adapted film and the steepest decline since the -69% posted by X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009, despite facing little to no competition or new wide-releases and having the added benefit of 30% K–12 schools off, and 9% of colleges on break, per ComScore. The steep drop also marks the fifth-biggest for a film that opened above $100 million.

Outside North America

Internationally, it was projected to open between $180–200 million; however, Deadline.com pointed out that these figures are only early predictions that are pegged to the performance of similar films in their respective territories. It opened Wednesday, March 23, 2016, in 10 countries, earning $7 million, where it debuted at No. 1 in all markets on roughly 5,900 screens. It opened in 38 more countries on March 24, earning $33.1 million on 19,700 screens for a two-day total of $44 million from 45 countries. On Friday, March 25, it finally opened in its last 17 countries, where they delivered a combined total of $67.2 million, for a three-day total of $115.3 million from 62 countries on over 30,000 screens. Through Sunday, March 27, it earned an opening-weekend total of $256.5 million from 66 countries on over 40,000 screens, which stands as the biggest superhero opening weekend of all time, the biggest March opening, the second biggest opening for Warner Bros. and the fifth biggest international opening ever. This included the second-biggest IMAX opening record of $18 million, behind only Jurassic World ($23.5 million). 3D accounted 59% or $149.86 million of the weekend gross led by China (98%), Germany (88%), Brazil (81%), Russia (55%), and France (51%). As with North America, the film witnessed steep decline in its second Friday internationally, falling 72% to 19.2 million from 67 countries with the biggest decline in the U.K. (77%) and China (87%), and fell overall 66.5% to $85.1 million in its second weekend from 28,000 screens in 67 countries.

In Mexico, it had the biggest opening day for Warner Bros. and the second biggest of all time with $5.8 million, including record-breaking midnight showings. It also scored the biggest opening day of all time in Brazil ($3.5 million) and the biggest opening day for a superhero film in Germany ($2.8 million). Elsewhere, it opened in the United Kingdom and Ireland ($9 million), Australia ($2.5 million), India ($2.54 million), Russia ($1.9 million), South Korea ($1.7 million), Japan ($1.2 million), the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong ($1.1 million respectively). In China, it earned $21.22 million on its opening day, including around $1.34 million worth of previews, which is the biggest for Warner Bros. and the sixth biggest Hollywood opening day of all time. However, other Chinese sources have the film open to around $20 million. In terms of opening weekends, the biggest openings were recorded in China ($57.2 million), the United Kingdom and Ireland ($20.7 million), Mexico ($18.2 million), Brazil ($12 million), South Korea ($10.2 million), Australia ($9.9 million), France ($8.6 million), Germany ($8.1 million), Russia ($7.7 million), India ($6.6 million), Spain ($6.1 million) and Japan ($4.5 million). It broke all time opening record in Brazil and Warner Bros. opening records in Mexico, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it benefited from the long Easter weekend holiday and despite a distinctly mixed bag of reviews in the U.K. press, it posted an opening £14.62 million or $20.7 million from 612 theaters, a record for 2016 so far (breaking Deadpool's record) and for a superhero title on straight Friday to Sunday, but fell short of The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron, when accounting for previews. In Japan, it opened in third place, behind two local films, Assassination Classroom: Graduation and Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016. In South Korea, it scored the biggest March opening after opening on a Tuesday and dominating 68.3% of the market share with $10.2 million. In China, after scoring the biggest Hollywood opening Friday (behind Transformers: Age of Extinction), it earned an estimated $57.2 million from approximately 16,000 screens in its opening weekend, besting all other DC Comics adaption film just by its weekend haul except for Man of Steel and gave Warner Bros. its biggest three day opening there with $7 million coming from 557 IMAX screens. However, the opening figure fell below analysts projections of $70–80 million. It held the top spot for its first seven days only, after which it faced stiff competitions from local productions. As a result, it fell to fourth place in its second weekend. Overall, while not quite underperforming, the film fell below initial expectations and has become a moderate success in the Middle Kingdom. In terms of total earnings, its largest markets internationally are China ($85 million), the United Kingdom and Ireland ($39.7 million), Mexico ($29.7 million), Brazil ($21.7 million) and Australia ($17.2 million).

Critical response

The Wall Street Journal reported that the film received reviews that were "mostly negative" from the consensus of critics, the Business Insider said reviews were "bad", Newsweek said the reviews were "poor" despite setting "box office records", while Variety, The Independent and The Mirror called the reception by critics as "lukewarm". Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 29% approval rating based on 295 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story – and some of America's most iconic superheroes – in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action." Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average to mainstream critic reviews, gave the film an average score of 44 out of 100, based on 51 critics. The film received criticism for its dark tone, excessive running time and unfocused narrative, with The Telegraph calling it "incoherent", but did receive praise for its visual spectacle and the performances of Affleck, Gadot, Irons and Hunter. Eisenberg's performance as Lex Luthor received "polarized" reviews, with critics either praising his interpretation of the character or arguing that it "crippled" the film. In addition, Gal Gadot's performance as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman was singled as a highlight of the film as a much anticipated major character of DC Comics having her theatrical film debut after decades of being forestalled.

Film director Kevin Smith, a long-time friend and collaborator of Ben Affleck, said in his review of Batman v Superman on his podcast Hollywood Babble-On that "Batman v Superman shows 'fundamental misunderstanding' of both superheroes...[I felt like] the movie…didn’t really have a heart...humorless, there was nothing funny going on in that world whatsoever...There seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding of what those characters are about. It’s almost like Zack Snyder didn’t read a bunch of comics, he read one comic once, and it was Dark Knight Returns, and his favourite part was the last part where Batman and Superman fight.” Smith offered praise for Affleck as “the best cinematic presentation of Batman fighting you’ve ever seen in a movie”, but said that Snyder’s version of Batman "was not one he recognized." A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote "The point of Batman v Superman isn’t fun, and it isn’t thinking, either. It’s obedience. The theology is invoked not to elicit meditations on mercy, justice or sacrifice, but to buttress a spectacle of power. And in that way the film serves as a metaphor for its own aspirations. The corporations that produce movies like this one, and the ambitious hacks who sign up to make them, have no evident motive beyond their own aggrandizement." Cynthia Fuchs of PopMatters said, "As you’re watching this movie, you might also contemplate your own part, in being swayed into consuming so much of what you’ve consumed before." Adding, "Wonder Woman’s remains Batman v Superman‘s most compelling story, precisely because it’s untold." Matt Patches of Thrillist wrote "what Batman v Superman can do, it does, at the cost of coherency and thrills. The movie is bat-shit crazy. A dour, disdainful demeanor, plus a gluttony of complex plot twists, dissipates most of the contact high." Michael Philips of Chicago Tribune wrote, "A near-total drag, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice plays like a loose, unofficial quarter-billion-dollar remake of The Odd Couple, in which Oscar and Felix are literally trying to kill each other."

Conversely, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film "better than Man of Steel but below the high bar set by Nolan's Dark Knight" adding that "Dawn of Justice is still a colossus, the stuff that DC Comics dreams are made of for that kid in all of us who yearns to see Batman and Superman suit up and go in for the kill." Jake Coyle of Associated Press wrote, "it hurtles not with the kinetic momentum of Mad Max: Fury Road nor the comparatively spry skip of a Marvel movie, but with an operatic grandeur it sometimes earns and often doesn't." Mark Hughes of Forbes called it "the follow-up to The Dark Knight that many viewers and fans wanted or hoped for" adding that it's "visually stunning, with powerful emotional storytelling and awe-inspiring action spectacle." Andrew Barker of Variety said "as a pure visual spectacle... Batman V Superman ably blows the hinges off the multiplex doors." Charles Koplinski of the Illinois Times called it "a brooding, but most importantly intelligent take on the seminal figures of our 20th century pop culture mythology, a movie that at once pays tribute to these characters' roots while offering up modern incarnations of them that ring true for our times." Nicolas Barber of the BBC called the film "a four-star epic" praising Affleck's performance as Batman and the visual grandeur of Larry Fong's cinematography.

External links

• Official website
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at IMDb
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at AllMovie
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at Box Office Mojo
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at Rotten Tomatoes
• Template:Tv.com movie