'Wonder Woman' had a bad foreign box office performance compared to most superhero movies
Warner Bros. Pictures
But in a time when the foreign box office is arguably more important, the studio failed to perform overseas as strongly as other superhero movies.
Only 49.8% of the movie's $819 worldwide box office came from foreign territories, and that's one of the worst international performances by a superhero movie released in the last decade, according to Forbes.
Typically, superhero movies earn as much (if not more) in their theatrical revenue overseas compared to North America. Outside of "Wonder Woman," only 2008's "Iron Man" ($266.7 million foreign vs. $318.4 million domestic), 2008's "The Incredible Hulk" ($128.6 million foreign vs. $134.8 million domestic), and 2011's "Green Lantern" ($103.2 million foreign vs. $116.6 million domestic) didn't make more internationally.
In the case of these titles, "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" were released before the superhero movie craze, while "Green Lantern" was just awful.
In a comparison with Sony's superhero summer 2017 release, "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Forbes showed that Spidey outperformed Diana Prince in Europe, while in South Korea, it was even worse as "Spider-Man" earned 6% of its worldwide gross there, while "Wonder Woman" only took in 2%. However, "Wonder Woman" outperformed "Spider-Man" in Australia, Taiwan, and Brazil.
There are multiple theories why "Wonder Woman" wasn't stronger internationally - chauvinism, star Gal Gadot being Israeli - but the most realistic Forbes can find is that Warner Bros.' overseas marketing isn't as strong as the other studios when it comes to superhero movies. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is the only superhero title from the studio that earned over 60% of its worldwide gross overseas ($542.9 million foreign vs. $330.3 million domestic). Marvel has 11 titles that have taken in 63% or more.
It's something for Warner Bros. to strive for when "Wonder Woman 2" comes out.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- From terrace to table: 8 Edible plants you can grow in your home
- India fourth largest military spender globally in 2023: SIPRI report
- New study forecasts high chance of record-breaking heat and humidity in India in the coming months
- Gold plunges ₹1,450 to ₹72,200, silver prices dive by ₹2,300
- Strong domestic demand supporting India's growth: Morgan Stanley