Superman records biggest opening weekend in 2025 with N133.7m in ticket sales

The trending American superhero DC Comics movie, Superman, has accumulated N133.7 million in ticket sales on its debut weekend at the Nigerian box office. The milestone now stood as one of the strongest openings in Nigeria in 2025. 

The iconic DC Comics movie has overtaken Captain America: Brave New World, which earned N108.1 million, for the title of the biggest opening weekend of 2025. Superman’s performance was impressive considering the fact that most cinemas in Lagos (which accounts for 50% of Nigeria’s box office revenue) were closed until Saturday evening due to local government elections.

Superman is a 2025 American superhero movie based on the DC Comics character Superman. Written and directed by James Gunn, it is the first film in the DC Universe produced by DC Studios and the second reboot of the Superman film series.

In the movie, Superman must prove to the world that he is their protector after billionaire Lex Luthor enacts a plan to turn public opinion against him. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent (Superman), alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. 

Three years after Superman’s emergence, Clark Kent navigates his dual identity as a Metropolis journalist and the world’s most iconic superhero. As Lex Luthor launches a deliberate campaign to distort public trust, Superman faces a challenge: to vanquish his foes and convince humanity of his genuine ambition. 

Also Read: Hollywood movie, Sinners rakes in N736M from Nigerian cinemas in 6 weeks.

For DC Studio, Superman represents a significant turning point. The movie was originally planned as a continuation of 2013’s Man of Steel, before the project was reimagined after the commercial and critical struggles of Justice League in 2017. Gunn, appointed as co-CEO of DC Studios in 2022, started writing a new version that would eventually drop the original subtitle, Superman: Legacy, to usher in a new phase. 

While it was released on Nigeria Cinemas on July 11, the movie first premiered at the TCL Chinese Theater on July 7, 2025, and was released by Warner Bros. It is the first movie of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and has received positive reviews from critics, grossing $220 million against a $225 million projection. As of July 13, 2025, Superman has grossed $125 million in the United States and Canada, and $95 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $220 million.

Superman at the Nigerian box office

The movie comes at a time when the Nigerian box office is experiencing impressive growth and global influence.

According to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), the growth is attributed to a growing middle class, rising disposable incomes, and a youthful population with a strong interest in cinematic experiences, which have improved attendance. The introduction of modern multiplex cinemas in major cities like Lagos and Abuja is also tagged as a contributing factor.

In reference, the Nigerian box office generated a gross box office (GBO) revenue of ₦1.29 billion and attracted over 240,000 admissions across 47 film titles in April 2025. According to a report by The Nile Group, the achievement marks a 62.5% increase in revenue and a 13.4% rise in admissions compared to April 2024.

For the month, the surge was largely driven by the stellar performances of Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller Sinners and the Nigerian film Ori: The Rebirth, which captivated audiences and set the stage for an even more promising outing. Aside from the April 2025 performance, the Nigerian box office in Q1 2025 reportedly generated ₦3.48 billion, a 132% increase from Q1 2023, with 661,801 admissions, up 10.9% from Q1 2024. 

Despite infrastructure challenges, industry experts attributed the growth to collaboration between local and international films and Nollywood’s growing image of producing commercially viable films like the 2024 Blockbuster film of Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jenifa and A Tribe Called Judah.