Superman Returns Flying High

It's not even the end of Day Two in official release, and already "Superman Returns" is raking in strong numbers to prove that the Man of Steel hasn't diminished as one of the most popular comic superheroes of all time. With an opening gross for Wednesday that includes the take from special early screenings on Tuesday night, $21 million was the reported tally. This places the fifth Superman movie in 8th place for biggest Wednesday box office total ever.

Come the 4th of July, this holiday weekend kicked off by the midweek running start is sure to send "Superman Returns" rocketing into box office history. By the holiday, the newest silver screen installment of the adventures of World's Greatest Hero will have been playing in theaters for one whole week, and with an opening just behind last year's summer blockbuster, the "War of the Worlds" remake by Steven Spielberg, Superman has nowhere to go but up, up and away.

Two years ago, the reigning king of summer also conquered just in time for 4th of July weekend, "Spider-Man 2," which took in more than $40 million on its record-breaking Wednesday open. So, competition for the world's highest-grossing superhero movie debut is heavy, even for a large draw like Superman. But, after spending ten years in Hollywood limbo desperately trying to get off the ground, "Superman" deserves every bit of success it enjoys.

This weekend, Bryan Singer's vision of the comic book icon will be shown on more than 4,000 screens, setting another milestone for the movie as the fourth-widest theatrical release to date. With the force behind this movie and coming close to 20 years since Superman made his last appearance on a movie screen, "Superman Returns" will undoubtedly continue to soar over the next several days. Be sure and read the man  SuperMan Returns movie Reviews