‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ did NOT prove to be this year’s ‘Jurassic World’. The follow-up to the twenty-year-old first movie was eyed to kick off a new franchise, but its $41.6M opening (on a $165M budget) basically nixes that plan. It certainly doesn’t help that critics and theater goers didn’t warm up to it, with 33% of critics and 40% of audiences giving it a thumbs up.
Instead, Disney juggernaut ‘Finding Dory’ (which is a sequel to a 13-year-old movie) took in another $73.2M to claim the #1 position again.
ComScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said:
“I’m not surprised that it did this well. It’s been a go-to movie for everyone, and that’s the magic of the Pixar brand. Having a Pixar movie in the summer mix is always good for business.”
Here are the official numbers:
- Finding Dory (Disney) – $73.2M
- Independence Day: Resurgence (Warner Brothers) – $41.6M
- Central Intelligence (Warner Brothers) – $18.4M
- The Shallows ( Lionsgate) – $16.7M
- Free State of Jones (Universal) – $7.77M
‘Central Intelligence’ starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson held strong in the #3 spot, with little competition in the comedy field.
The low-budget shark thriller ‘The Shallows’ starring Blake Lively took in $16.7M for a fourth place opening. But it has gotten mostly positive reviews which may help it in the long run.
‘Free State of Jones’ with Matthew McConaughy has gotten terrible reviews, but audiences think differently, giving it an A- CinemaScore ranking.
Honestly, next weekend is a crap shoot. Opening are ‘The BFG’, ‘The Purge: Election Year’ and ‘The Legend of Tarzan’. Any could be a big hit… or a big flop. (Sorry, Tarzan.) Audiences are likely to stick with ‘Finding Dory’ for the #1 spot, but the newbies may be able to take down this week’s underachievers.
Check back for the official number next week.
Source: ComScore
