Original Supergirl star Helen Slater has come out in strong support of the latest Warner Bros. adaptation and its lead actor Milly Alcock, even as the film faces a severe box office flop.
Directed by Craig Gillespie, the new DC Studios release has sparked widespread debate after bringing in a lower-than-anticipated $38 million domestically over its opening weekend, according to Rentrak studio estimates released on Sunday and cited by USA Today.
“I loved the new Supergirl film,” Slater told The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought Milly Alcock was astonishing — fierce, strong, and great comic timing.”
Slater, who was just 18 when she made her acting debut as Kara Zor-El in the original 1984 “Supergirl” movie, knows the pressure of the titular role.
Though she signed a three-film contract at the time, it remained her only turn as the superhero after the Tri-Star release earned just $14 million domestically.
That original film also starred Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, and Peter O’Toole. Slater later expanded her career with roles in “The Legend of Billie Jean” and “City Slickers,” recurred as Clark Kent’s mother on “Smallville,” and played the adoptive mother of Melissa Benoist’s character in the “Supergirl” television series.
She also earned a doctorate in mythological studies and depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
The praise from the original franchise star stands in contrast to the film’s current financial reality and the ensuing industry fallout.
The movie was expected to debut closer to $50 million, leading DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran to admit that the opening sum did not meet expectations. Variety reported that the feature now stands to lose between $100 million and $120 million during its theatrical run.
The financial underperformance has also triggered public criticism.
USA Today reported that during a June 29 episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” host Megyn Kelly, 55, blamed the film’s shortcomings on audience fatigue with “not authentic” or “not organic” female-led superhero movies.
She said Hollywood expects automatic support simply because the main character is a woman.
“We’re over the forced-upon-us girlboss era,” she said. “We’re no longer buying it.”
“It’s not that women can’t be empowered and fierce and all the great things. It’s just, stop forcing it on us in the form of ‘Supergirl.'”
Kelly also directed blame at Alcock herself, criticizing remarks the lead actor has made regarding sexism in the superhero genre.
“People don’t want to hear it,” she said.
