Supergirl opened to $37.1 million at the box office against a reported budget of $170 million to $180 million, and a new Hollywood Reporter account explains how DC Studios saw the failure coming months in advance. The film, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, never found its footing in post-production.

The core problem was a split between DC Studios head James Gunn and director Craig Gillespie. The two had creative differences over the direction of the movie, and the disagreement eventually produced two competing versions of the same film.

The March Bakeoff

Things came to a head in March, when the studio tested its own cut against one assembled by Gillespie. One source described the exercise as a bakeoff. Neither version performed strongly with test audiences.

According to multiple insiders, the test scores never escaped the 60s, though one insider put the top score at 70. The studio cut scored slightly higher, edging Gillespie’s version by two points, and that was the one released in theaters.

What Was in the Other Cut

Gillespie’s version ran 11 minutes longer and featured more of the villain Krem, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. It reportedly tested well in specific areas, including song choices, pacing and the villain’s storyline.

None of it was enough to close the two-point gap. The version audiences saw was the studio’s, and the numbers that followed matched the test screenings more than anyone at DC would have liked.

What It Means for DC’s Slate

DC Studios knew for months the film was not working, according to the report. That raises a plain question about why the release proceeded on schedule rather than being delayed for reshoots or a rework.

Studios rarely say much publicly after a bomb of this size. The reporting suggests the internal conversation happened long before opening weekend, and the outcome was priced in.

The gap between a $37.1 million opening and a budget near $180 million will shape how DC handles its next round of releases.