DC Studios' highly anticipated movie 'Superman', the first film under the new leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, has been projected to have an opening weekend ranging from $90 million to $125 million. While initial tracking indicated a higher outlook of $125 million to $145 million, various distribution sources suggest a more realistic range for the Gunn-directed superhero film.

Superman's strong brand recognition is evident in its unaided awareness, with a score of 30. This metric measures the number of moviegoers who spontaneously mention a film they are interested in without any prompting. Despite this, the movie falls behind recent post-pandemic superhero releases like 'Thor: Love & Thunder', 'The Batman', and 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' in terms of first choice preference among audiences.

Comparing Superman to other superhero films, it lags behind 'Captain America: Brave New World' by 71% in first choice preference at a similar point in time. The movie's first choice score is also 64% lower than that of 'The Batman', directed by Matt Reeves.

Superman has already made a mark as the best advance ticket seller of the year so far, with strong presales for its Amazon Prime Early Access paid screenings. These screenings, scheduled for July 8, have seen significant interest from audiences, outperforming similar offerings from other major studios.

Industry sources suggest that Superman's opening weekend performance will heavily rely on critical reviews and positive word-of-mouth. The film's widespread recognition and iconic status are expected to drive audiences to theaters, particularly in the current post-pandemic landscape.

Despite the extensive marketing campaign leading up to its release, including the debut of the first teaser trailer, the majority of Superman's promotional efforts will ramp up in the final days before its opening weekend. The movie's predecessors in the DC Extended Universe, including 'Batman v. Superman' and 'Man of Steel', have collectively grossed over $2.56 billion at the global box office, highlighting the enduring popularity of the Superman character.