The latest iteration of the Godzilla franchise took over the top spot from B次元官网网址淎laddinB次元官网网址� and roared louder than Elton John at the weekend box office, but it still left a notably smaller footprint on North American theatres than its city-wrecking predecessors.
B次元官网网址淕odzilla: King of the Monsters,B次元官网网址� Warner Bros. and Legendary EntertainmentB次元官网网址檚 sequel to 2014B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淕odzilla,B次元官网网址� was brought down to size by poor reviews and middling interest from moviegoers, selling $49 million in tickets, according to studio estimates Sunday.
While still good enough for No. 1, that total was $10-15 million off industry expectations and close to half of the $93 million debut of the previous B次元官网网址淕odzillaB次元官网网址� movie.
Still, the weekend, led by one of the most classic movie monsters, brought HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 summer season into full swing. Last weekB次元官网网址檚 top film, DisneyB次元官网网址檚 live-action, blue-Will Smith B次元官网网址淎laddinB次元官网网址� remake, slid to second with $42 million in its second weekend. And a rush of newcomers, including the Elton John biopic B次元官网网址淩ocketmanB次元官网网址� and the Octavia Spencer-led horror film B次元官网网址淢a,B次元官网网址� swelled theatres with a variety of options.
Dexter FletcherB次元官网网址檚 fantastical Elton John biopic B次元官网网址淩ocketman,B次元官网网址� starring Taron Egerton, didnB次元官网网址檛 launch with the same bravado as last yearB次元官网网址檚 Freddie Mercury biopic B次元官网网址淏ohemian Rhapsody.B次元官网网址� But it opened solidly in third with $25 million. The weekendB次元官网网址檚 most profitable release, by percentage, was likely the Blumhouse Production thriller B次元官网网址淢a,B次元官网网址� which made $18.2 million against a $5 million budget.
Critics are raving about , calling it an B次元官网网址渆pic musical fantasyB次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渦nlike anything youB次元官网网址檝e ever seen.B次元官网网址� Get tickets now to experience it on the big screen:
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Even with a toothless B次元官网网址淕odzilla,B次元官网网址� the weekend was up drastically B次元官网网址� 62 per cent, according to Comscore B次元官网网址� from the same weekend last year, when the swiftly forgotten B次元官网网址淪oloB次元官网网址� was in its second weekend.
Part of the appeal of giant monster films from a studio standpoint is their popularity in Asia. This B次元官网网址淕odzillaB次元官网网址� fared best in China, opening there with $70 million. It made $130 million internationally overall.
But in Godzilla, some see a flagging franchise of unrealized potential. In its three recent blockbuster iterations going back to Gareth EdwardsB次元官网网址� 1998 Sony release, none have drawn much praise from fans or critics. This latest one, directed by Michael Dougherty, has a 40 per cent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Warner Bros. is developing a face-off movie between Godzilla and King Kong, who was last featured in B次元官网网址淜ong: Skull Island.B次元官网网址� That 2017 release opened with $61 million and went on to make $566 million worldwide. Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros., believes the $200-million budgeted B次元官网网址淜ing of the MonstersB次元官网网址� can keep drawing moviegoers to the studioB次元官网网址檚 ongoing monster franchises.
B次元官网网址淭he avid fans of Godzilla came out Thursday and Friday,B次元官网网址� said Goldstein. B次元官网网址淭he real key for us is how broadly can we expand over the next couple weeks? Can we hold on to an interest thatB次元官网网址檚 wider than the regular Godzilla fans? I think we can.B次元官网网址�
In GodzillaB次元官网网址檚 shadow, counterprogramming thrived. Coming off its acclaimed premiere at the Cannes Film Festival , B次元官网网址淩ocketman,B次元官网网址� which Elton John executive produced, opened well if not spectacularly for Paramount Pictures. The R-rated biopic cost about $40 million to make.
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Aiming to capitalize on the British singerB次元官网网址檚 worldwide appeal, the stars of B次元官网网址淩ocketmanB次元官网网址� have circled the globe ahead of release. It added $19.2 million internationally. In Russia, the filmB次元官网网址檚 local distributor cut out scenes depicting homosexual activity and drug use. John and the filmmakers criticized the move as B次元官网网址渁 sad reflection of the divided world we still live in.B次元官网网址�
Though B次元官网网址淩ocketmanB次元官网网址� shares much with B次元官网网址淏ohemian RhapsodyB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� including Fletcher, who helmed the Mercury film after Bryan Singer departed production B次元官网网址� its makers have sought to distance it from last yearB次元官网网址檚 Oscar-winning $900-million sensation.
B次元官网网址淭hat movie is a unicorn,B次元官网网址� Egerton said in Cannes. B次元官网网址淥ur movie is a different animal.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淢a,B次元官网网址� fashioned by Blumhouse as the production companyB次元官网网址檚 contemporary answer to B次元官网网址淢isery,B次元官网网址� reteams Spencer with B次元官网网址淭he HelpB次元官网网址� director Tate Taylor. SpencerB次元官网网址檚 first solo lead performance drew an especially diverse audience, 57 per cent of which was female.
B次元官网网址淭he best news this weekend was for the industry itself,B次元官网网址� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. B次元官网网址淓ven if the top movie didnB次元官网网址檛 earn $100 million, we had a big up weekend and we need more of those to get out of this deficit that weB次元官网网址檝e been in since basically the beginning of the year.B次元官网网址�
The news, though, wasnB次元官网网址檛 good for B次元官网网址淏ooksmart,B次元官网网址� the acclaimed teen comedy starring Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. Amid its disappointing wide-release opening last weekend, director Olivia Wilde appealed on social media for fans to support a movie B次元官网网址渕ade by and about women.B次元官网网址� On its second weekend, B次元官网网址淏ooksmartB次元官网网址� couldnB次元官网网址檛 turn it around, earning $3.3 million on 2,518 screens.
Overseas, CannesB次元官网网址� Palme dB次元官网网址橭r winner B次元官网网址淧arasite,B次元官网网址� a social satire from Korean director Bong Joon-ho, opened with $24.6 million. That was driven largely by stellar sales in South Korea where BongB次元官网网址檚 raucous thriller easily outpaced B次元官网网址淕odzilla.B次元官网网址�
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. B次元官网网址淕odzilla: King of the Monsters,B次元官网网址� $49 million ($130 million international).
2. B次元官网网址淎laddin,B次元官网网址� $42.3 million ($78.3 million international).
3. B次元官网网址淩ocketman,B次元官网网址� $25 million ($19.2 million international).
4. B次元官网网址淢a,B次元官网网址� $18.3 million ($2.8 million international).
5. B次元官网网址淛ohn Wick: Chapter 3 B次元官网网址� Parabellum,B次元官网网址� $11.1 million ($12.7 million international).
6. B次元官网网址淎vengers: Endgame,B次元官网网址� $7.8 million ($8.6 million international).
7. B次元官网网址淧okemon Detective Pikachu,B次元官网网址� $6.7 million ($14.6 million international).
8. B次元官网网址淏ooksmart,B次元官网网址� $3.3 million.
9. B次元官网网址淏rightburn,B次元官网网址� $2.3 million.
10. B次元官网网址淭he Hustle,B次元官网网址� $1.3 million.
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Comscore:
1. B次元官网网址淕odzilla: King of the Monsters,B次元官网网址� $130 million.
2. B次元官网网址淎laddin,B次元官网网址� $78.3 million.
3. B次元官网网址淧arasite,B次元官网网址� $24.6 million.
4. B次元官网网址淩ocketman,B次元官网网址� $19.2 million.
5. B次元官网网址淒oraemon: NobitaB次元官网网址檚 Chronicle Of The Moon Exploration,B次元官网网址� $18.4 million.
6. B次元官网网址淭he Secret Life of Pets 2,B次元官网网址� $17.2 million.
7. B次元官网网址淧okemon Detective Pikachu,B次元官网网址� $14.6 million.
8. B次元官网网址淛ohn Wick: Chapter 3 B次元官网网址� ParabellumB次元官网网址� $12.7 million.
9. B次元官网网址淎vengers: Endgame,B次元官网网址� $8.6 million.
10. B次元官网网址淗appy Little Submarine: Space Pals,B次元官网网址� $3.4 million.
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
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