'The Mummy'.
Universal’s The Mummy reboot was No. 1 in 45 markets last weekend, ranking as the best debut ever for Tom Cruise worldwide, beating Steven Spielberg’s 2005 sci-fi thriller War Of The Worlds. However, Aussie moviegoers were rather less impressed.
The first film in the Dark Universe series opened in second spot, trailing the second outing of Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman; mirroring the US results last weekend.
The top 20 titles rang up $20.9 million – up 16 per cent on the previous week – boosted by the Queen’s Birthday holiday, according to Numero.
Director Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman is benefitting from overwhelming positive media attention and word of mouth, bagging $7.1 million over the 4-day weekend (down just 5 per cent) on 282 screens to reach $16 million.
Even though The Mummy has been crucified by the critics, it hasn't stopped the Alex Kurtzman-directed creature feature from pocketing $US172.3 million internationally, led by China’s $52.4 million.
In Australia the film co-starring Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis and Courtney B. Vance fetched $5.5 million on 262. It may be lucky to finish up with more than $12 million.
Paramount’s Baywatch, the Seth Gordon-directed caper inspired by the TV series, is fast losing momentum, dropping by 31 per cent in its second outing on 267, taking $2.6 million to bring the total to $7.2 million.
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales collected $1.9 million in its third sojourn on 306, falling by 30 per cent. Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, the Queensland-shot adventure has grossed a mediocre $12.6 million and may get to $15 million or so.
Disney/Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is holding well, minting $507,000 in its seventh orbit on 188, easing by 18 per cent. Overall it has amassed $32.3 million.
Fox launched My Cousin Rachel, the Roger Michell-directed romantic drama starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin, on 70 screens, nabbing $523,000 for a per screen average of $7,500. That’s an impressive start for the second big screen version of the novel by Daphne Du Maurier.
Transmission’s British-Indian drama Viceroy’s House is proving very resilient, earning $380,000 in its fourth frame on 142, slipping by 6 per cent as it advanced to $2.5 million.
Released by the same distributor, Jonathan Teplitzky’s Churchill, the WW2-set drama which stars Brian Cox as Winston Churchill and Miranda Richardson as his wife Clemmie, captured a solid $419,000 in its debut on 86.
eOne’s A Dog’s Purpose hasn’t lost its bite, snaring $220,000 in its sixth lap on 104, virtually unchanged from last week, to reach $4.5 million.
Clinging to 10th spot, Warner Bros./Roadshow’s dud King Arthur: Legend of the Sword plunged by 52 per cent to $255,000 in its fourth chapter, tallying $5.4 million.