It might be judgment day for the Terminator franchise.
Despite generally favorable reviews and the return of star Linda Hamilton and producer James Cameron, “Terminator: Dark Fate” has opened well below expectations at the box office. Studios on Sunday estimate that “Dark Fate” earned only $29 million from over 4,000 North American locations. The film from Paramount Pictures cost a reported $185 million to produce.
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It was enough to win the top spot at the box office, but it’s a weak victory for the franchise. Although “Dark Fate,” which was directed by “Deadpool’s” Tim Miller, received much better reviews (currently at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes) and was praised for being a return to form to Cameron’s original films, it opened just slightly ahead of 2015′s roundly derided “Terminator: Genisys.”
“These big brands carry with them huge expectations, often unrealistic expectations,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “It wasn’t for lack of enthusiasm for the stars and filmmakers.”
Internationally, “Dark Fate” did much better, earning $72.9 million from 48 markets. Fox International, not Paramount, is handling international distribution, excluding China.
Second place went to “Joker,” which added $13.9 million, bringing its global earnings to $934 million in just five weeks in theaters. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” landed in third place in its third weekend with an additional $12.2 million. The Angelina Jolie-led sequel has grossed $84.3 million in North America.
