Box Office: The Mummy tanks for Universal

Nick Morton (TOM CRUISE) and Jenny Halsey (ANNABELLE WALLIS) in a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: "The Mummy." From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, "The Mummy" brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters. Photo Credit: Chiabella James

Universal Pictures was hoping a reboot of The Mummy starring Tom Cruise would launch their Dark Universe franchise.  Unfortunately for the studio, critics and audiences alike panned the film.

Starring Tom Cruise, the Alex Kurtzman-directed film finished this weekend in second place with an estimated $32.2 million at the box office.  In addition to Cruise, the film stars Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance and Russell Crowe.  Taking into account the four previous films in The Mummy series, the Tom Cruise flick had the worst opening and that also takes into account the rising cost of going to the movies.  The film played better overseas where it opened to $141.8 million this weekend.  It’s the best international opening for the action star, beating out 2005’s War of the Worlds.

Wonder Woman, playing in its second weekend of release, took in an estimated $57 million, a drop of 45% compared to opening weekend.  This is pretty impressive for a superhero pic and is the best for DC since launching the DC Extended Universe.  Last year, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice dropped 69% while Suicide Squad dropped 67%.  Previously, Man of Steel saw a drop of 65%.

Captain Underpants, also playing for a second weekend, was third with $12.3 million.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales took in $10.7 million for its third weekend.  The Disney film is playing well overseas, which has helped the fifth film in the franchise top the $600 million mark.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 finishes fifth with $6.2 million.  Domestically, the Marvel pic is inching closer to $400 million.  It’s already outdone the first installment and will likely compete with Wonder Woman for the highest-grossing film this summer.

Newcomers It Comes At Night, Megan Leavey, and My Cousin Rachel finished in 6th, 8th, and 11th places, respectively.  Could Megan Leavey have done better as a limited film with a platform release while spreading the word of mouth?  Probably.

With $4 million this weekend, Baywatch has moved its domestic take to over $50 million and sits in 7th for the weekend.  Alien: Covenant tops the $70 million mark with $1.8 million (8th) on the weekend.  Everything, Everything rounds out the top ten with $1.6 million.

Outside of the top ten, Beauty and the Beast is still playing and added on to its $500 million gross.  The film leads at the box office with $502,885,446 this year.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

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