‘Superman,’ ‘F1’ both cross $500 million at the global box office

Warner Bros. Discovery had a bountiful weekend at the global box office.

The studio had two films cross the $500 million mark worldwide — “Superman” soared to $502 million and Apple’s “F1,” which Warner Bros. distributed, topped $509 million in ticket sales.

The benchmark is a boon for Warner Bros.’ DC Studios, as “Superman” is the first theatrical debut of James Gunn and Peter Safran since they became co-heads of the film and TV unit in late 2022. The pair has developed a 10-year plan to reinvigorate the studio’s franchises across TV and film, including fresh spins on Superman and Batman.

At present, 2025’s “Superman” is the fourth-highest-grossing film featuring Superman. Zack Snyder’s 2016 “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” is the highest with $874 million in global ticket sales, while 2013’s “Man of Steel” is second-highest with $669 million and 2017’s “Justice League” with $661 million, according to data from Comscore.

“Superman” debuted in theaters just two weeks ago and continues to drive weekend moviegoing as well as weekday trips.

As for Apple’s “F1,” passing the $500 million mark is just another feather in the cap for the studio. Earlier this month, the film became Apple’s best film release ever, surpassing Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” which generated $221 million during its 2023 run, to become Apple’s then-highest-grossing theatrical release.

The tech company has only sent a handful of films to cinemas with wide releases since delving into the media business in recent years. “Killers of the Flower Moon” tallied $158 million worldwide, “Fly Me to the Moon” took in just $42 million and “Argylle” generated $96 million in ticket sales globally.

“F1” has benefited greatly from its partnership with IMAX. Before production, Apple and the film’s top creatives reached out to not only secure the use of IMAX’s camera technology but also a three-week release in its theaters.