Weekend Box Office: Not an ideal weekend for Men In Black: International, Shaft, or nostalgia
Hot off of the heels of Thor:Ragnarok and Avengers:Endgame, getting Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth to suit up and defend the galaxy seemed like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, their famed onscreen chemistry wasn’t enough to attract a noteworthy audience this Father’s Day weekend: Though Men In Black:International topped the box office, it only earned a fairly dismal (for a legacy franchise, at least) $28.5 million. Just how disappointing is that turnout? Let’s put it this way: In its second weekend, Secret Life Of Pets 2 dropped off 49% and still only trailed MIB:I by less than $5 million. It is also the worst opening ever for the franchise, a head-shaking point for those of us who sat through MIB 2. Even its international haul of $102.2 million isn’t enough to cover the film’s $110 million price tag.
Another blow to cinematic sentimentality: The 2019 Shaft sequel (it’s not a reboot, though the widespread mix-up is understandable) quietly entered the box office at No. 6, getting bested by Aladdin, Dark Phoenix, and Rocketman. With only 2952 screens, there is room to question whether or not there was viable interest in another Shaft story in the first place, even if it does attempt to incorporate the sensibilities of today. Another great question to ask: Must we continue to make room for more zombie stories? The box office managed to make a little space for The Dead Don’t Die at No. 12 with a decaying haul of $2.35 million, though that could have something to do with the fact that it only showed on a modest 613 screens. Even with a Father’s Day boost, this appeared to be the weekend to stay home rather than head to the theater. That will likely change this coming weekend when the toys continue their super fun existential crisis for another round in Toy Story 4.
For more a more detailed breakdown of the weekend box office, check out Box Office Mojo.