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Hollywood’s latest attempt to lecture America tanked at the box office over the weekend, with Supergirl opening to roughly $38 million domestically against a reported production budget in the neighborhood of $170 million — a disastrous start for what was supposed to be a marquee DC release. The Numbers’ early tallies make it clear this was not a slow burn; the film’s worldwide haul sits far short of what the studio needed to even sniff profitability.
Long before the credits rolled, the film’s star, Milly Alcock, had already made headlines by warning that “simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on,” comments that played straight into a narrative of victimhood and preemptive grievance. That kind of messaging from a title actor isn’t neutral — it signals Hollywood’s preference for cultural calls-to-arms over inviting a broad paying audience to enjoy a movie.
Critics, meanwhile, praised parts of the performance while savaging the movie’s tonal and visual choices; reviews called the film uneven and emotionally colorless, even as they conceded Alcock’s on-screen work had merit. Mixed-to-negative early reviews, combined with lukewarm audience responses, made it hard for word-of-mouth to save opening weekend numbers.
Even DC Studios leadership couldn’t bury the facts in PR spin: co-chair Peter Safran acknowledged the release “didn’t meet our box office expectations,” framing the flop as an inconvenient data point in a longer plan rather than a sign Hollywood should stop alienating ordinary Americans. That kind of corporate damage control won’t pay the bills or convince families to spend their entertainment dollars next month.
This outcome is not an accident. For years executives and talent have mistaken moralizing speeches and identity-branding for storytelling, and the result is an industry that scolds its customers while expecting their cash. When studios prioritize ideological theater and insider virtue signals over clear characters, satisfying plots, and honest fun, they shouldn’t be shocked when working-class audiences vote with their wallets.
The lesson here for Hollywood is blunt and obvious: stop treating moviegoers like subjects to be lectured and start treating them like customers to be earned. If studios want big summer returns they should make films that entertain and respect the people who pay for tickets — not sermonize them from a red carpet.
America still wants great, entertaining stories, not preachy manifestos in expensive suits. If the DC brand hopes to fly again, it will need leaders who put craft and crowd-pleasing storytelling ahead of woke press cycles, or risk handing more of the culture back to creators who actually understand the tastes of everyday Americans.
