Supergirl is struggling at the box office. The comic book adaptation, a space adventure revolving around Superman’s cousin, debuted to disappointing $38 million from 3,600 American theaters and $68 million globally.

The Warner and DC Studios film was targeting a start of around $50 million to $55 million, which already would have been soft launch for big-budget tentpole.

The movie’s polarizing reception, as well as the intense competition during the peak of summer movie season, would limit its theatrical staying power.

“Supergirl” carries a substantial $170 million price tag, not including the mega marketing budget. Although economics vary from studio to studio, a movie of this size would need to earn at least $375 million to break even since cinema owners get to keep roughly half of revenues. A source close to the film says the breakeven point for “Supergirl” is closer to $300 million.

Critics didn’t like “Supergirl,” which holds 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences appear mixed, with a “B-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Initial crowds were 59% male, meaning the film didn’t break out beyond the core superhero fanbase. Milly Alcock plays Supergirl, who travels through the cosmos with her trusty pup Krypto the Superdog. When she encounters an alien girl named Ruthye, she reluctantly joins her on a quest for vengeance and justice.

Craig Gillespie, best known for “I, Tonya” and “Cruella,” directed the film from a script by Ana Nogueira (“The Vampire Diaries”).

The start for “Supergirl” indicates the road to building an interconnected film franchise (and fashioning a rival to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe) has hit its first speed bump.

“Jackass: Best and Last” also stumbled at the box office with $8.4 million from 2,855 venues. The film faltered overseas with $1.9 million from 19 markets for  global debut of $10.3 million.

Those ticket sales rank as the worst opening in the prank comedy series that’s about risking life, limb and dignity. To compare, 2022’s “Jackass Forever,” the property’s prior installment, debuted to $23 million domestically and ended up with $80 million globally. However, “Jackass 5” cost $10 million to produce, so it doesn’t need to earn much to turn theatrical profit.

Critics and audiences liked the R-rated reckless prank sequel, which carries an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and “A-” grade on CinemaScore. One reason the new entry didn’t bring out a bigger crowd is because the film isn’t entirely original; “Best and Last” features stars Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man and their other daredevil friends in a compilation of new and old stunts and skits.

Neither of the new releases dethroned Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, which ruled again with $70 million in its second weekend of release. That’s a standard 55% decline from its huge $160 million debut.

The fifth installment in the franchise is poised to be one of the year’s highest-grossing releases with $297 million domestically and $585 million globally after just 12 days in theaters.

Toy Story 5 is also expected to be the biggest entry in the 31-year-old franchise, a record that currently belongs to “Toy Story 4” with $1.07 billion.

“Obsession” slid to the No. 3 spot, ranking behind “Supergirl” and ahead of “Jackass: Best and Last.” Now in its 7th weekend of release, the box office juggernaut has earned $9.8 million from 2,965 locations, mere 27% decline in ticket sales.

The low-budget horror sensation has generated $233.9 million domestically and $370 million worldwide, making “Obsession” a wildly profitable success for Focus Features and theater owners.

Spielberg’s sci-fi adventure “Disclosure Day” rounded out the top five with $8.1 million from 3,357 venues, a 54% drop from the prior weekend. So far, it has generated $94.3 million in America and $193 million globally after 3 weekends on the big screen. Since the PG-13 movie cost $115 million, “Disclosure Day” needs around $300 million globally to be profitable.

A24’s comedy “The Invite” grossed $379,104 on just 7 screens in New York and Los Angeles, translating to a strong $54,158 per location. The movie’s commercial appeal will be tested when it expands nationwide on July 10.

Olivia Wilde directed the well-reviewed “The Invite,” in which she and Seth Rogen play a bickering married couple who host a dinner party for their far more free-spirited upstairs neighbors (Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton).

July 4th sees the release of the family-friendly “Despicable Me” spinoff “Minions & Monsters,” followed by tentpoles like Chris Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”