The Memorial Day weekend box office is off to a strong start, and the mutants are dominating. The superhero sequelX-Men: Apocalypsescored $26.4 million on Friday, tracking for a four-day weekend total of around $80 million. While that’s about $20 million under whatX-Men: Days of Future Pastscored on the same holiday weekend two years ago, that movie had the benefit of blending two iconic casts together, so $80 million’s not too shabby for a proper sequel.
DirectorBryan Singer’s 80s-set film drewsome scathing reviews, but audiences appear to be more kind to the picture as it earned an A- CinemaScore from opening night moviegoers. It certainly delivers on what you’re expecting out of anX-Menfilm, even if it starts to become tedious halfway through. No matter, theX-Menfranchise is alive and well, and ifApocalypse’s box office performance is any indication, 20th Century Fox isn’t gonna be done with these superheroes anytime soon.
While the box office forApocalypseis performing in line with expectations, it is curious thatDeadpool—an R-rated standalone with only one movie star—opened to over $50 million above whatApocalypseis expected to do, and in three days no less. The performance ofApocalypseis far from a disappointment, and it’s performing spectacularly overseas with an international total of $130 million so far, but it’s kind of funny that theX-Menmovie Fox resisted for so long ended up as one of the studio’s highest grossing films in the franchise.
ButX-Menisn’t the only new release in theaters this holiday weekend. Disney’sAlice Through the Looking Glasswas unleashed upon audiences whether they asked for it or not, and judging by the numbers, the majority of moviegoers appear to fall into the latter category. TheJames Bobin-directed follow-up finished Friday under $10 million and is headed for a four-day total of around $40 million, which is far below what the film was tracking to take in.
GivenJohnny Depp’s PR troublesthe timing certainly isn’t ideal, but even so, enthusiasm forThrough the Looking Glassseemed hard to come by.Tim Burton’s original was a massive hit worldwide in 2010, raking in over $1 billion worldwide, but much of that was due to the renewed interest in 3D—Burton’s film was one of the first new releases that was offered in the 3D format and benefitted from riding the wave of theAvatarphenomenon. As a movie, it was wholly forgettable, and indeed it appears audiences aren’t feeling eager to revisit theAliceuniverse for a second helping.
Elsewhere,Captain America: Civil Waris now within spitting distance of the 2016 throne and should surpassDeadpoolthis weekend to become the highest grossing film domesticallyandworldwide this year.
Check out Friday’s full Top 10 below, and check back tomorrow for weekend estimates. And if you haven’t seenThe Nice Guysyet, do yourself a favor and make time for it this weekend. It’s great!
X-Men: Apocalypse
$26,400,000
Alice Through the Looking Glass
$9,723,000
The Angry Birds Movie
$5,035,000
$52,688,309
Captain America: Civil War
$4,028,000
$361,503,948
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
$2,800,000
$32,036,580
The Jungle Book
$1,819,000
$333,330,909
The Nice Guys
$1,760,000
$17,123,672
Money Monster
$1,100,000
$30,752,226
Love & Friendship
$1,660,548
The Darkness
$9,329,379
