Dominating the weekend box office is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows with $35.3 million, according to studio estimates.
Its predecessor, the Ninja Turtle reboot directed by Michael Bay, opened in 2014 with $65 million on its way to a worldwide box office total of $493 million.
“In 2014, people were running out to see Ninja Turtles out of nostalgia for the past movies and the TV show,” says Jeff Bock, box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “But the fans are clearly not as enthusiastic about one movie every two years. This is a lesson for Hollywood, which is suffering with sequels this summer.”
The sequel received an A-minus CinemaScore from moviegoers – who were 51 percent under the age of 25 – and a 37 percent “fresh” score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Placing in second in place at the box office is X-Men: Apocalypse with $22.3 million in its second week in theaters. It has accumulated a domestic total of $116.5 million.
Meanwhile, the weekend’s other new wide release was romantic drama Me Before You with $18.3 million. The love story, about a caregiver (Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke) who falls in love with a paralyzed millionaire (The Hunger Games’ Sam Claflin), received a 55 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and an A CinemaScore from moviegoers – who were 80 percent female.
Emilia Clarke & Sam Claflin Cry Together On The Set of ME BEFORE YOU
“Me Before You was a true bright spot in this weekend’s box-office derby that clearly struck a chord with audiences looking for something completely different from the typical summer fare,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. “This paid off big.”
In fourth and fifth place at the box office are Alice Through the Looking Glass and Angry Birds Movie, with $10.7 million and $9.8 million, respectively. The sequel to 2010’s Alice in Wonderland has accumulated a disappointing $50.8 million, thus far, much less than analyst’s expectations. The animated family film, adapted from the popular game, has earned $86.7 million in three weeks.
The weekend’s final new wide release was music parody Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping with a disappointing $4.6 million from 2,311 locations, for an eighth place finish. The film, starring Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, surprisingly scored a strong 78 percent critical score on RottenTomatoes and a B CinemaScore.
“It’s a low opening gross, but I haven’t written it off,” Dergarabedian says. “This movie could turn into a cult classic eventually on the small screen.”
Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: June 3-5
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows — $35.3 million
- X-Men: Apocalypse — $22.3 million
- Me Before You — $18.3 million
- Alice Through The Looking Glass — $10.7 million
- The Angry Birds Movie — $9.8 million
- Captain America: Civil War — $7.6 million
- Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising — $4.7 million
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping — $4.6 million
- The Jungle Book — $4.3 million
- The Nice Guys — $3.5 million
