UPDATED: Fox’s action sci-fi sequel fell short in its domestic debut, thanks to a big second weekend hold by Pixar’s Finding Dory and a strong start for Sony’s The Shallows.

JUNE 27 UPDATE: Independence Day: Resurgence opened with an estimated gross of $41m from 4,068 cinemas (for a $10,088 average) over the weekend, slightly down on expectations and short of the $50.2m domestic opening achieved by the original Independence Day in 1996.

With a reported budget of $165m, the sequel, which reunites original director Roland Emmerich with stars Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum and adds Liam Hemsworth in place of the original’s Will Smith, earned middling reviews and had to make do with second place in the North American top ten.

The effects-laden 3D sequel earned an estimated $5m of its total from 385 IMAX screens, 12 of them ranking among the film’s 15 highest-grossing engagements.

After its chart-topping debut (worth $76.9m when adjusted for inflation) almost two decades ago, the original went on to become 1996’s biggest film worldwide, taking $306.2m($468.8m after adjustment) in North America and $511.2m ($782.7m after adjustment) internationally.

Pixar’s Finding Dory topped the chart again, dropping only 46% in second weekend to an estimated $73m, for a North American total so far of $286.3m.

Columbia Pictures’ The Shallows had a relatively impressive debut (considering its reported $17m budget), opening well ahead of expectations with an estimated $16.8m from 2,962 cinemas (for a $5,672 average). The thriller, directed by Jaume Collet-Sera and starring Blake Lively as a surfer stranded in shark-infested waters, got good reviews and ended up fourth on the chart.

American Civil War tale Free State Of Jones opened in sixth place with a disappointing $7.6m from 2,815 locations (for a $2,690 average). Distributed domestically by STX, the period drama, with Matthew McConaughey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw starring for director Gary Ross, had a reported net budget of $50m.

New Line-Universal’s action comedy Central Intelligence was down 49% in its second weekend to an estimated $18.2m, for domestic total to date of $69.2m.

Legendary-Universal’s Warcraft had another big drop in its third weekend, falling 69% to $2.2m, for a total of $44m. On a global basis, however, the game adaptation crossed the $400m mark this week, reaching an estimated total of $412.9m.

In limited release, Broad Green’s The Neon Demon, the Cannes competition horror-thriller from directorNicolas Winding Refn, made its US debut with $606,594 from 783 cinemas, for an average of $785.

A24’s Swiss Army Man, meanwhile,opened on three screens in New York and Los Angeles with $105,453, for a per screen average of $35,151.

After last weekend’s surge, aggregate box office for the top 12 films in North America was down 21% to $180.9m, though that was still 2% up on the comparable session in 2015, when Jurassic World was in its third weekend of domestic domination.

This week’s wide releases are: Buena Vista’s Roald Dahl adaptation The BFG; Warner Bros’ action adventure The Legend of Tarzan; and Universal’s horror-thriller sequel The Purge: Election Year.

Confirmed top 10 North America June 24-26, 2016
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (1) Finding Dory(Buena Vista) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International $73m $286.3m

2 (-) Independence Day: Resurgence (Fox) Fox International $41m -

3(2) Central Intelligence (Warner Bros) Universal Pictures International $18.2m $69.2m

4 (-) The Shallows (Sony) Sony Pictures Releasing International $16.8m -

5 (3) The Conjuring 2 (Warner Bros) Warner Bros Pictures International $7.7m $86.9m

6 (-) Free State Of Jones (STX) IM Global $7.6m -

7 (4) Now You See Me 2 (Lionsgate) Lionsgate International $5.6m $52m

8 (6) X-Men: Apocalypse (Fox) Fox International $2.5m $151.1m

9 (7) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (Paramount) Paramount Pictures International $2.5m $77.2m

10 (5) Warcraft (Universal) Universal Pictures International $2.2m $44m

 

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