‘Maleficent’ sequel disappoints at gate
Although Disney’s fantasy sequel “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” claimed the top spot at the box office this weekend, it fell below expectations.
Initially projected to make close to $45 million domestically, the movie instead opened to an estimated $36 million in domestic ticket sales Friday through Sunday. It brought in an additional $117 million overseas, according to the studio. These figures did relatively little to offset the movie’s hefty price tag, however: It cost roughly $185 million to produce and at least $100 million to market worldwide.
The original “Maleficent” was a rethink of the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty,” from which the titular character, played by Angelina Jolie, was plucked. The sequel, set several years later, revolves around a war between fairy creatures and humans, also featuring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
The opening-weekend misfire calls into question both the star power of Jolie who has been largely absent from screens since the 2014 original and the risky decision of Disney to release a sequel this long after that first movie, which opened to around $69.4 million in domestic ticket sales during its first weekend.
Plus, reviews for “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” were generally weak: It holds a 41% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
So while the new “Maleficent” led ticket sales, it was a different sequel that had this weekend’s most applause worthy start.
“Zombieland 2: Double Tap,” from Sony Pictures, opened to around $26.7 million in domestic ticket sales, coming in ahead of both the studio’s projection ($23 million) and the original “Zombieland,” which sold about $24.7 million in tickets during its opening weekend in 2009. The sequel cost $42 million to make.
“Zombieland 2: Double Tap” is the sequel to the 2009 horror spoof “Zombieland.” The original movies’ zombie-slaying stars Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin return in the sequel to fight for survival in a postapocalyptic world. They do so alongside a handful of newcomers, played by Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson and Avan Jogia, to name a few.