Two solid debuts at the box office, including one from a venerable science fiction franchise. Here’s what went down.
Star Trek Beyond debut in first place at the box office this weekend, grossing an estimated $59 million. While that’s a solid number, it’s certainly off from the $70 million that the previous entry in the franchise, Star Trek Into Darkness made upon its release some three years ago. With strong critical reviews, it’s hard to figure out exactly why the number was off, though I’d argue that this summer is particularly crowded with sequels, many of which, as we know, simply aren’t resonating. It would be interesting to see if Paramount considers moving the franchise out of the crowded summer blockbuster season for the fourth instalment, which has already been green lit.
Debuting in third place was the PG-13 horror film Lights Out, with an estimated $22.3 million. The film scored well with critics and audiences and, with a budget of less than $5 million, is already a hit in just three days.
As for the rest of the top five, The Secret Life of Pets was in second place with $28.9 million, bringing its three week total to an outstanding $260 million. Ice Age: Collision Control debut in fourth place with $22 million, off from previous instalments. Finally, Ghostbusters closed things out in fifth place with an estimated $20.5 million.
So, top recap, here were our predictions:
1) Star Trek Beyond – $64 million
2) Ice Age: Collision Course – $35 million
3) The Secret Life of Pets – $25 million
4) Ghostbusters – $21 million
5) Lights Out – $18 million
And here’s how the weekend is estimated to turn out:
1) Star Trek Beyond – $59 million
2) The Secret Life of Pets – $28.9 million
3) Lights Out – $22.3 million
4) Ice Age: Collision Course – $22 million
5) Ghostbusters– $20.5 million
Next weekend sees the release of Jason Bourne and Bad Moms. Be sure to check back on Friday to see our predictions!
