In the Holy Citizen Auditorium, a prime seat with an excellent view in the middle and towards the back, Elizabeth Jagger wasn't sitting next to her mother. Instead, she was with Nicky Hilton. Since they were the same age, they had always been close. On the other side was Kim Kardashian, whom Elizabeth had stolen from Paris as her new companion.
To be more accurate, Kim was more of a big companion, as she was already 14, while Elizabeth and Nicky were only 11.
Once seated in the theater, Elizabeth had been preoccupied with all sorts of thoughts—regretting not being able to walk the red carpet like the big stars, thinking about where to go in Los Angeles over the next few days, and wondering if she could get her stepdad to sponsor her fun. After all, having a good time costs money, and even though her mother wasn't overly strict, her allowance was never enough.
However, once the movie started, Elizabeth, like the rest of the audience, was quickly captivated by the spectacular storyline and explosive visuals of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. She watched as the righteous and kind Superman was led step by step into Lex Luthor's trap, eventually forced into a life-and-death battle with another superhero, Batman.
Luckily, the scheme didn't succeed.
The girls' favorite, Wonder Woman, appeared just in time to expose Luthor's plot. Lex Luthor, attempting to turn himself into Superman using the power of a Mother Box, instead transformed into a hideous alien monster. In the end, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman fought Luthor together, making for a heart-pounding finale. But when Superman was fatally impaled by the alien Lex Luthor had become, Elizabeth almost shed a tear.
At that moment, she thought of her stepdad again. How could the writers do this? How could they kill Superman? It was infuriating.
No matter what, she was determined to make her stepdad bring Superman back to life as soon as possible the next time she saw him.
On the big screen in the auditorium, the story was coming to an end. Humanity held the most solemn funeral for Superman, but the hero was gone. Even Batman, Bruce Wayne, appeared more tired and aged after the disaster. However, in his final conversation with Wonder Woman, Bruce had not lost hope. Instead, he planned to carry on Superman's legacy by gathering allies to protect humanity together.
Meanwhile, Diana Prince retrieved the last Mother Box from Lex Luthor and took it back to Themyscira.
Of course, the film wouldn't be complete without a post-credits scene. As the credits rolled, the vault on Themyscira, where the three Mother Boxes were stored, suddenly began to tremble one day, as if responding to something. The vault shook, dust and debris flying everywhere. In the center, a point of light appeared, gradually expanding until it formed a portal. A tall figure approached the glowing portal, and just as it drew near, the screen went dark.
The movie was over.
In the Holy Citizen Auditorium, unlike the 11-year-old girl who didn't have deep feelings about Superman or Batman, many audience members were still immersed in the epic 149-minute superhero blockbuster, even as the lights came up.
Simon had originally positioned the DC Cinematic Universe as straightforward commercial films, avoiding heavy themes or deep messages. This was the approach with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as well. Simon was adamant that no underlying messages would interfere with the film's pacing or the overall flow of the story. Yet, it was precisely this seamless storytelling that left audiences reflecting once the film ended. After two and a half hours of emotional highs, viewers couldn't help but contemplate what they had just experienced.
Many classic films are created in this way. The creators tell a story earnestly, leaving the interpretation up to the audience. For example, Pulp Fiction or the widely influential A Chinese Odyssey. These films didn't initially contain much depth, but as more people analyzed them, they were given layers of meaning.
In this movie, Simon aimed to avoid the pitfalls of the original Batman v Superman film. He focused on telling a coherent story without the "Martha" plotline, without Doomsday, without Batman's excessive dream sequences, and without a Lex Luthor who resembled the Joker.
The plot was quite simple. After the Battle of Metropolis, a grieving Lex Luthor, now the head of his family's business, harbored jealousy, hatred, and a desire for power. He orchestrated a series of schemes that led to Superman being discredited and blamed for everything, while also inciting Gotham's Dark Knight to believe that Superman didn't belong in the world. This eventually led to their showdown.
In contrast to the original film, Wonder Woman wasn't just sidelined until the final battle. Diana Prince became pivotal from her first appearance at Lex Luthor's party, where she began investigating the whereabouts of the third Mother Box and uncovering Luthor's plot. She intervened in time to prevent Superman and Batman from killing each other.
When his plan failed, Lex Luthor used Kryptonian DNA and the Mother Box to transform himself, becoming an uncontrollable alien creature. The three superheroes—Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman—fought the alien Luthor in a grueling battle, ultimately winning, though at great cost: the death of Superman.
The film ended on a bittersweet note, with both sorrow and hope. Simon also balanced the power levels between Batman and Superman through the use of Batman's armored suit. This made the fight between the two heroes more evenly matched, unlike the original film where it felt like a child taunting a 200-pound heavyweight. Even before Batman used Kryptonite, their fight, thanks to the Bat-armor, was intense and exciting.
The three major action scenes—the car chase confrontation, the climactic battle between Batman and Superman, and the trio's fight against the alien Lex Luthor—were all executed to perfection, showcasing Daenerys' top-tier special effects.
In terms of plot, action, and visuals, this $135 million blockbuster was nothing short of flawless.
This achievement led to the longest round of applause, lasting over three minutes, at the conclusion of the DC Cinematic Universe's premiere event.
The reviews for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice were immediately released. Major North American media outlets gave the film an impressive overall score of 9.7, surpassing many of the year's potential Oscar contenders.
Hollywood's Variety praised the film as "a perfect conclusion to the first phase of the DC Cinematic Universe."
Another outlet, The Hollywood Reporter, offered a more emotional take, stating: "Both the son of light and the Dark Knight wish to make the world a better place. They know the world isn't perfect, but they seek change because of their inner convictions, and they stand side by side despite their differences in belief. The light doesn't fade; it's just like the sunset—it will rise again."
With the premiere over, the "Death of Superman" couldn't be kept under wraps any longer. The Hollywood Reporter's poetic hint all but confirmed it, and the anticipation for Superman's resurrection was obvious.
This was a given.
As the media began dissecting Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, many critics expressed that the film's story, visuals, and potential box-office performance made it worthy of an Oscar nomination. Some even called for the Oscars to drop their bias against superhero films.
After reading the overwhelming coverage on Thursday, even Warner Bros. CEO Terry Semel couldn't resist calling Simon to discuss the possibility of submitting Batman v Superman for the Oscars.
Simon, however, wasn't too keen on the idea. Following the success of Forrest Gump last year, if they were to aim for Oscars, it would be better to focus on James Cameron's upcoming film, which represented the pinnacle of Hollywood blockbusters.
Still, Simon didn't object to Warner Bros. pursuing Oscar nominations for Batman v Superman and even agreed that Daenerys Entertainment could cooperate with the campaign. After all, this was a relatively "weak" year for the Oscars, especially compared to last year's Forrest Gump.
In the original timeline, Mel Gibson's Braveheart was the big winner at next year's Oscars. However, Simon had never been fond of Hollywood's historical epics due to cultural differences and didn't fully appreciate Braveheart's classic status.
Given Daenerys Entertainment's dominant performance this year, Simon didn't feel the need to pursue Oscars aggressively. It was better to give others something to aspire to. Therefore, they would aim for nominations without pushing too hard. After all, Forrest Gump had already made its mark last year. If Daenerys Entertainment's team went overboard in their campaign, Simon might even step in to dial it back.
After Wednesday's premiere and the positive buzz throughout Thursday, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice officially opened in North America on December 22, across 3,443 screens, including 3,417 traditional screens and 26 IMAX screens.
Following the hype from last summer's Jurassic Park 2 IMAX release, moviegoers had been eager for more IMAX experiences. However, for the past six months, the only IMAX option had been at the Universal Cinema in Burbank. Finally, they could now buy tickets for a widely available IMAX release.
With IMAX screenings of Batman v Superman being the top recommendation from critics who attended the premiere, the 26 IMAX theaters in North America quickly sold out, including tickets for Christmas Eve, with scalpers soon cashing in on the frenzy.
As Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters, it became clear that other year-end films would
struggle to compete.
The previous week's box office performance had been lackluster for the three new releases on December 15: The New Dragon Phoenix, When the Dream Ends, and Vampires Go Crazy. None of them made a significant impact, while the Thanksgiving release, the 3D animated Beauty and the Beast, claimed the top spot again.
In its fifth week, Beauty and the Beast saw only a 17% drop, earning another $21.15 million, bringing its total to $200.54 million.
If it weren't for Batman v Superman entering the fray, Beauty and the Beast would have had a strong shot at joining the $300 million club domestically. Now, however, it would likely be pushed out of the market quickly.
Fortunately, Beauty and the Beast had already done extremely well. In contrast, the three new films from the previous week had performed much worse.
Surprisingly, the second-highest-grossing film of the week was When the Dream Ends, a drama directed by Forest Whitaker. The film earned $18.96 million in its opening week, already surpassing its $15 million production budget.
But once again, Batman v Superman loomed large. Without this juggernaut in the way, When the Dream Ends might have grossed over $50 million in total. Now, its future was uncertain.
The New Dragon Phoenix, starring Harrison Ford and made with a $50 million budget, landed in third place. With only $12.79 million in its opening week, the film's box-office performance was a disaster for Paramount. Even if it weren't up against Batman v Superman, its domestic total was unlikely to surpass $30 million.
Harrison Ford's strengths lay in franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, or action films like The Fugitive. He just didn't have the charm for romantic films.
Vampires Go Crazy, starring Leslie Nielsen, opened in fourth place but was the biggest disappointment of all. Despite landing in the top four, Nielsen failed to replicate the success of his Naked Gun series. With a $30 million production budget, Vampires Go Crazy earned just $5.03 million in its first week.
Looking at the box office rankings, with fourth place only earning $5.03 million, it was clear that the market had been in a slump from December 15 to December 21. Most audiences were simply waiting for Batman v Superman.
December 22 arrived.
This was the week dominated entirely by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The film's immense popularity and influence meant that even the small-scale, award-focused films didn't dare to release alongside this DC Universe heavyweight.
Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the premiere and the media's rave reviews, Warner Bros.' promotional team, along with various media outlets, predicted that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would easily break box-office records.
With the film's release, everyone was eager to see how it would perform.
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