‘WONDER WOMAN’ cruises over ‘The Mummy’
TOM CRUISE was no match for Wonder Woman.
Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman wrapped up Cruise’s The Mummy at the weekend box office, pulling in an estiated US$57.2 million in North American cinemas, according to studio estimates Sunday. Universal’s The Mummy looked its age, selling a relatively feeble US$32.2 million in tickets in its debut weekend. That couldn’t compete with Wonder
Woman in its second weekend. The Gal Gadot superhero film, directed by Patty Jenkins, has quickly earned US$205 million domestically in two weeks
Critics slammed The Mummy, directed by Alex Kurtzman. It has a dismal 17 per cent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences agreed, giving it a a B-minus CinemaScore.
The success of Wonder Woman – now with US$435 million globally – also points to a Warner Bros pivoting after a poor response to previous DC Comics releases
(Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman). Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore, said The Mummy opening showed the challenge of launching a franchise with North American audiences, who are more deterred by bad reviews. Writer-director Trey Edward Shults’ It
Comes at Night aimed for more discerning horror fans. His thriller sold a modest US$6 million in tickets.
The box-office reign of Wonder Woman is all but certain to end next weekend when Pixar’s Cars 3 opens.
Following are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian cinemas, according to comScore.
1. Wonder Woman, US$57.2 million
(US$58.1 million international). 2. The Mummy, US$32.2 million
(US$141.8 million international). 3. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, US$12.3 million (US$1.7 million international). 4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men
Tell No Tells (US$10.7 million ($34.8 million international). 5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, US$6.2
million (US$2.2 million international). 6. It Comes at Night, US$6 million. 7. Baywatch, $4.6 million ($10.7 million
international). 8. Megan Leavey, US$3.8 million. 9. Alien: Covenant, US$1.8 million
(US$1.6 million international). 10. Everything, Everything, US$1.6
million.