James Gunn is feeling “incredibly grateful” for the initial box office success of Superman and the positive reception from audiences. The filmmaker and co-head of DC Studios took to Threads on Sunday to express his appreciation after the superhero blockbuster saw an estimated global debut of $217 million .

Director Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie, which premiered in 1978, is a classic piece of cinema that continues to shape the superhero genre today. Most recently, it led the way for writer-director James Gunn to release Superman, a more modern imagining of the Man of Steel’s adventures, with David Corenswet portraying the titular hero.