Box Office: 'Wonder Woman' repeats box office victory, Tom Cruise's 'The Mummy' misfires

June 13, 2017 | 11:48

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Different weekend, similar story: "Wonder Woman" is box office royalty.

Cast member Gal Gadot poses at the premiere of "Wonder Woman" in Los Angeles, California U.S., May 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Different weekend, similar story: "Wonder Woman" is box office royalty.

The Warner Bros. and DC Comics standalone will have earned US$57.2 million from 4,165 theaters by the end of its second weekend, putting it solidly in first place. That's only a 45per cent drop from its opening weekend, giving the film an estimated US$205 million domestically in two weekends.

The Gal Gadot-starrer will also make more during its second frame than did both "Suicide Squad" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," despite those films having larger opening weekends than "Wonder Woman" (US$133.7 million for "Suicide Squad" and US$166 million for "Batman v Superman"). Unlike those two films, Patty Jenkins' has critical support - a current 93per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Universal's "The Mummy," meanwhile is counting on a strong overseas total to make up for less impressive domestic earnings. As of Sunday morning, the film is eyeing US$32.2 million from 4,035 locations. That's a slow start for the film intended to launch an extended universe of monster-related titles. Overseas it looks to fare better with US$141.8 million, lifting its anticipated global take to US$174 million.

"We would love to see more gross domestically," said Nick Carpou, Universal's president of domestic distribution, who asserted that "a lot of the attention that 'The Mummy' garnered here, aggregated to the international total." Carpou cited the 75-foot-tall sarcophagus unveiled at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland, and the movie's VR experience as potential buzz generators.

Alex Kurtzman directed "The Mummy," a revival of the franchise spawned by Universal's 1932 original and re-popularized by Stephen Sommers' 1999 fright-fest starring Brendan Fraser, and the three other Mummy films that followed. In the 2017 update, Cruise plays a freelance treasure hunter who resurrects a princess (Sofia Boutella). Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, and Russell Crowe are also in the mix.

"The Mummy" was announced as the kick-off to a "Dark Universe" of monster movies. 2014's "Dracula Untold," it turns out, is not canon. The studio that was built on classics including "Dracula," "The Wolf Man," and "Frankenstein" has already slated a "Bride of Frankenstein" movie for 2019 with half a dozen or so others in the works.

"Every movie is it's own DNA," Duncan Clark, Universal's president of international distribution commented about the "Dark Universe." "It's not about which one went first." Clark said "Bride of Frankenstein" is on deck, and there are "others in place."

Cruise mostly recently opened "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" to a US$22.9 million domestic opening, "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" to US$55.5 million, and "Edge of Tomorrow" to US$28.9 million. Cruise with reunite with "Edge" director Doug Liman for Universal's "American Made." The studio dropped the trailer for the crime-centric action biopic on Monday, presumably a strategic move to get audiences excited about its star.

But that couldn't save "The Mummy" from having the lowest domestic opening of any in the recent iteration of the franchise - 1999's "The Mummy," (US$43.3 million); 2001's "The Mummy Returns," (US$68.1 million); 2002's "The Scorpion King," (US$36.1 million); 2008's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," (US$40.5 million).

Rotten Tomatoes was blamed for "Baywatch's" Memorial Day weekend flop, but it wasn't enough to save two new wide releases this weekend in A24's "It Comes At Night" and Bleecker Street's "Megan Leavey." Both films won over the critical consensus - "It Comes At Night" at 86per cent fresh, and "Megan Leavey" at 80per cent - but are lacking so far in box office receipts. A24's horror release will scare up US$6 million from 2,533, which is fine for the low price tag, but below expectations. "Leavey," meanwhile, is earning a mere US$1.9 million from 1,956, making it a complete dud.

In limited release, "My Cousin Rachel" is tracking to break US$1 million from 523 locations. And "Beatriz at Dinner" from Roadside Attractions is gobbling up US$139,000 from only five spots.

Landing in third overall, "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" from Fox should take in an additional US$12.3 million from 3,529 locations - that's only a 48per cent drop from last weekend. Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" will sail to fourth with an additional US$10.7 million from 3,679 theaters. The franchise's fifth starring Johnny Depp now has over US$600 million worldwide. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" will round out the top five for the weekend with US$6.2 million from 2,911 locations. The studio is scaling back on domestic locations for both "Pirates" and "Guardians" by about 500 apiece.