A ‘Dark Fate’ for this franchise?

‘Terminator’ sequel debuts at No. 1 but far below projections. ‘Harriet’ opens solid.

While Paramount’s “Terminator: Dark Fate” topped the box office, opening with $29 million, the result is well below analyst projections of $35 million to $40 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore. The previous series installment, “Terminator: Genisys,” also debuted poorly, with $27 million in 2015, and on an extended Fourth of July weekend.

The overall box office took another hit, down 20.9% from the same weekend a year ago, when “Bohemian Rhapsody” opened with $51 million. The year-to-date is now down 5.2% from 2018.

The $185-million “Dark Fate” is the sixth in the “Terminator” franchise and the third attempt to revive the series in a decade. Although the sequel generated buzz at Comic-Con for being the first entry since 1991’s “Terminator

2: Judgment Day” to reunite series creator James Cameron and stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, moviegoers failed to turn up for it.

“The box office fate of many long-running franchises has been mixed,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore. “Some rely heavily on their box office outside of North America to recoup their often sizable production costs. ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ has been embraced by the fans and has enjoyed solid reviews, so it could enjoy long-term playability in the coming weeks.

“The current marketplace is extremely crowded and competitive, and ‘Joker’ has become such an unbelievable juggernaut that it has essentially cut into almost every other new film’s audience and has dominated the fall movie season in a way that could not have been predicted just a couple of months ago.”

“Dark Fate” earned so-so reviews, with a B-plus CinemaScore and a 69% “fresh” score on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

In second place, Warner

Bros.’ “Joker” continued its success, adding $13.9 million in its fifth weekend.

At No. 3, Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” added $12.2 million in its third weekend.

In fourth place, Focus Features’ Harriet Tubman biopic “Harriet” opened with $12 million, slightly above analyst of $10 million. Directed by Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”), it stars Cynthia Erivo as the titular freedom fighter. It was well received, with an A-plus CinemaScore and a 73% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rounding out the top five, United Artists Releasing’s “The Addams Family” added $8.5 million in its fourth weekend.

In sixth place, Sony’s “Zombieland: Double Tap” added $7.4 million in its third weekend. At No. 7, STX Entertainment’s “Countdown” added $5.9 million in its second weekend. In eighth place, Sony’s “Black and Blue” added $4.1 million in its second weekend.

At No. 9, Warner Bros. opened the crime drama “Motherless Brooklyn” with $3.7 million, well below analyst projections of $10 million. Edward Norton serves as writer, director, producer and star of the $26-million movie, an adaptation of Jonathan Lethem’s novel about a ’50s-era private investigator with Tourette syndrome who is on the hunt to solve his mentor’s killing. The filmgot a 62% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rounding out the top 10, Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures’ animated “Arctic Dogs” opened with $3.1 million, well below projections of $10 million.

The $50-million movie, which features Jeremy Renner as the voice of Swifty the Arctic fox. earned a B-minus CinemaScore and did not screen for critics.

Also new last week was Martin Scorsese’s crime drama “The Irishman,” which Netflix released in eight locations in New York and Los Angeles. The streamer does not report its box office grosses.

Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, the 3.5-hour mob drama cost $160 million to $200 million to produce. It boasts a 97% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and will debut on the streaming service on Nov. 27.