‘Pirates’ seizes $77M; ‘Baywatch’ sinks
‘Guardians 2’ still rules the space race ahead of ‘Aliens’
LOS ANGELES It was smooth sailing to the top spot at the box office for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, but the waters were choppier for the Dwayne Johnson comedy Baywatch.
Studio estimates Monday say the fifth installment of the Pirates franchise starring Johnny Depp commandeered $77 million for the four-day holiday weekend.
It was the second-lowest domestic opening for the nearly $4 billion franchise, but the latest film, which cost a reported $230 million to produce, has massive international appeal. Its final four-day global total is expected to hit $300 million
Having the majority of profits come from international receipts doesn’t worry Disney.
“This is a trend that we’ve seen play out over the course of these films,” says Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Disney. “Pirates is a huge spectacle film of the kind that international audiences continue to be drawn toward ... but the domestic response also shows that the audience for this film is clearly there.”
The R-rated Baywatch, mean- while, is sinking like a rock. The critically derided update of the 1990s TV show earned only $23 million for the weekend against a nearly $70 million production price. Even Guardians of the Galaxy
Vol. 2 did better in its fourth weekend. The space opera added $25.2 million to take second place ahead of Baywatch.
The Baywatch miss could be attributable to a couple of factors. Even with the star power of Johnson, R-rated Hollywood updates to family friendly television shows have a dubious track record, says comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
Earlier this year, Dax Shepard’s R-rated update of CHiPs tanked, netting only $18.6 million domestically against a $25 million budget.
This month’s box office also has been tough on nearly every film except Guardians 2.
“Baywatch doesn’t stand alone as a casualty in this marketplace,” Dergarabedian says. “It’s joining a cadre of other films that have underperformed.” Even the decently reviewed
Alien: Covenant dropped a steep 64% in its second weekend in theaters to take fourth place with $13.2 million. The teen romance
Everything, Everything rounded out the top five with $7.4 million.
“Hollywood needs June to save the box office world,” Dergarabedian says. First up to that challenge: Wonder Woman.
Final figures are expected Tuesday.