Thirty-two days. That’s how long “Supergirl” will have spent in theaters before Warner Bros. sends it to digital platforms on July 28, according to ScreenRant, officially confirming a date that had circulated as an industry report for weeks. A Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD release follows on September 8, per ScreenRant.
The quick turnaround follows a rough run at the box office. Directed by Craig Gillespie from a script by Ana Nogueira, “Supergirl” has pulled in $121.3 million worldwide against a reported production budget between $170 and $186 million, according to ScreenRant — a shortfall that puts it well behind expectations for just the second film in James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe.
Following Superman’s Playbook
The 32-day theatrical window mirrors what happened with Gunn’s own “Superman” last year, which reached digital storefronts 35 days after its theatrical debut, according to JoBlo. Gunn has previously said that film’s fast digital turnaround was tied to timing with the second season of “Peacemaker,” JoBlo noted, though no similar explanation has been offered for Supergirl’s release plan.
Where exactly viewers will be able to rent or buy it also differs from what some fans might expect: despite Warner Bros. Discovery owning HBO Max, “Supergirl” is heading to premium video-on-demand platforms like Amazon, Apple TV, and Sky rather than the company’s own streaming service, according to TechRadar. MaxBlizz lists Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play Movies among the digital storefronts carrying the film starting July 28.
A Troubled Road to Release
Milly Alcock stars as Kara Zor-El, based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s 2022 comic “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,” alongside Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa as the bounty hunter Lobo, according to MovieWeb. Reception to the film split along familiar lines — critics gave it a “rotten” Rotten Tomatoes score even as Alcock’s performance drew near-universal praise, MovieWeb reported.
Behind the scenes, the film reportedly went through late changes. Gillespie’s original cut ran 11 minutes longer and featured more of Schoenaerts’ villain, Krem, before DC Studios opted to release its own trimmed version in theaters instead, according to MaxBlizz.
Despite the box office stumble, Alcock’s future in the role appears secure. She’s expected to reprise Supergirl in Gunn’s Superman sequel, “Man of Tomorrow,” slated for 2027 — an appearance first set in motion when Alcock screen-tested for the part on the set of the original “Superman,” according to Variety.
