'Men in Black: International' and 'Shaft' Flop at Slow Father's Day Box Office
Columbia Pictures/New Line Cinema
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The so-called franchise fatigue continues this weekend as the 'Men in Black' spin-off and the latest 'Shaft' movie fail to attract moviegoers and boost the overall box office income.

AceShowbiz - Big franchise doesn't always guarantee a movie's performance. Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures had to learn this the hard way when "Men in Black: International" and "Shaft" didn't live up to their expectations this weekend. Opening wide in the U.S. on the same day, June 14, the fourth installment of the sci-fi film franchise and the latest movie from the action comedy series had underwhelming responses from audiences.

The "Men in Black" spin-off delivered an estimated $28.5 million, below its initial projection of $30 million, but it's enough to secure the top spot at box office on Father's Day weekend. The second remake of "Shaft", meanwhile, comes in sixth place with approximately $8.3 million. Together, the two new releases brought in under $37 million, far below the $56 million opening of "War for the Planet of the Apes" (2017) which was already considered low for the successful franchise.

"This was a rough weekend," Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian weighed in on the sluggish weekend at box office. "We've had some big franchises that are not resonating with audiences or critics." Overall, this weekend is down 50 percent from last year, the worst so far.

Internationally, "Men in Black: International" apparently still appeals to moviegoers for its brand, earning $73.7 million from 36 markets for a global total of $102.2 million so far. But it doesn't sound promising enough as the movie holds an approval rating of 24% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audience gave it an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale which will likely affect its long run.

"Shaft", on the other hand, received an average grade of "A" on CinemaScore though it received mixed or average reviews from critics. The movie holds an approval rating of 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. Made for around $30 million, it still needs a strong hold in order to get into profit.

"The Secret Life of Pets 2" is down to No. 2 with an estimated $23.8 million. "Aladdin" stays steady at No. 3 with approximately $16.7 million. "Dark Phoenix", the latest "X-Men" movie that is another case of failure from a big franchise, falls two places to No. 4 with an estimated addition of $9 million, dropping 72.6% from last weekend. Meanwhile, Elton John biopic "Rocketman" holds on to No. 5 with an estimated $8.8 million.

Top Ten Movies at Weekend Box Office for June 14-16:

  1. "Men in Black: International" - $28.5 million
  2. "The Secret Life of Pets 2" - $23.8 million
  3. "Aladdin" - $16.7 million
  4. "Dark Phoenix" - $9 million
  5. "Rocketman" - $8.8 million
  6. "Shaft" - $8.3 million
  7. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" - $8.1 million
  8. "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" - $6.1 million
  9. "Late Night" - $5.2 million
  10. "Ma" - $3.6 million

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