Man of Steel shoulders quest to lift DC to Marvel level

In Warner Bros' Man of Steel, Superman tries to save the world from powerful villains. His real-life task is no cakewalk either: Turn the studio's DC Comics into a hit factory like Walt Disney Co's Marvel.

Warner spent an estimated $225 million making the film in a bet that Man of Steel, starring British actor Henry Cavill, can make a profit and be the start of a new Superman franchise. That could pave the way to movies based on the "Justice League" comics that bring DC heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman together to fight a common enemy.

Marvel used the Iron Man films, starring Robert Downey Jr, to introduce The Avengers, which became the third-highest grossing movie of all time. In Man of Steel, Time Warner Inc's studio is taking a chance with the lesser-known Cavill and a brooding take on Superman - who projected an earnest, wholesome image in earlier films - from producer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder.

"We need a character in Superman who is very charismatic," said Jeff Gomez, chief executive officer of Starlight Runner Entertainment, a New York-based adviser on films including Men in Black. "That's certainly what Marvel did with Tony Stark in Iron Man. We love the character, and audiences find themselves putting money down for movies they might not see otherwise because he is in there."

Midnight sales
Man of Steel, which opened yesterday, is forecast to take in $120 million this weekend, according to researcher Boxoffice.com, after it raised its estimate from $115 million based on indications the film may take in about $45 million in its first day. The site estimates $357 million for its run in US and Canadian theaters. Ticket sales are split between the studios and exhibitors.

The film generated $9 million in ticket sales from midnight showings today, Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division, said today in an email. With $12 million in corporate screenings yesterday, the movie has $21 million in domestic ticket sales so far, he said, citing Warner Bros.

Based on the performance of Nolan's three Dark Knight films and previous movies from Snyder, whose credits include the somber Watchmen, Man of Steel will probably return a profit for Warner Bros. and its production and financing partner, Legendary Entertainment, according to researcher SNL Kagan. The estimate is based on revenue from theaters, DVDs and the first round of pay-TV and broadcast showings, against production costs and marketing outlays.

'Beating heart'
The film is similar to Nolan's Dark Knight movies in that it lacks the tongue-in-cheek humour of previous Superman iterations. Its success may depend in part on the ability of Cavill, co-star of Showtime's The Tudors series, to generate enough star power to leave audiences wanting more, Gomez said.

"The thing that people have been responding to in the more successful superhero films is a sense of fun," Gomez said. "If there is warmth, a true beating heart amidst all the mayhem, then we're going to want to stick with it." Man of Steel traces Superman's origins, from being sent from Krypton as the planet nears destruction through his rural Midwestern upbringing and gradual discovery of his powers. Amy Adams plays reporter Lois Lane and Russell Crowe is Superman's Kryptonian father, Jor-El. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane portray the Kents, the farm couple who take in and raise the infant.Out of 127 reviews catalogued by the website Rottentomatoes.com, 57 per cent were favourable. That compares with a 75 per cent "fresh" rating for 2006's Superman Returns.

"Marvel-size thrills await you and the generations of kids who still believe in Superman," wrote Time magazine critic Richard Corliss. "The movie finds its true, lofty footing not when it displays Kal-El's extraordinary powers but when it dramatises Clark Kent's roiling humanity."

Warner Bros made four Superman films, beginning in 1978, with the late Christopher Reeve. The studio tried to reboot the series with Superman Returns, starring Brandon Routh. No sequel was made after the movie, made for $270 million, returned $391 million in worldwide ticket sales.

Warner Bros, which is looking for a new anchor now that Harry Potter and The Dark Knight have run their course, expects to do better with this version of Superman.