The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary continued to dominate the North American box office over the weekend, with new release Lee Cronin's The Mummy landing in third place during its debut.
The highly anticipated sequel of the Mario franchise has maintained the top spot on the box office chart for three weekends straight, pulling in an estimated $35 million this weekend alone. This brings its total worldwide earnings to an impressive $747.5 million, solidifying its position as a box office hit for Universal Pictures.
Project Hail Mary experienced a modest drop of just 15% in its fifth weekend, earning $20.5 million and raising its domestic total to $285.1 million. The film has now amassed a worldwide total of $573.1 million. After temporarily relinquishing its IMAX screens to Mario for two weeks, the Amazon MGM production returned to IMAX, further boosting its earnings. Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller alongside lead actor Ryan Gosling recently expressed gratitude to theater owners during the industry event CinemaCon for contributing to the film's success as the highest earning original film of the year.
Meanwhile, The Mummy, directed by Lee Cronin and which opened in 3,404 theaters, debuted in third place with $13.5 million. The R-rated horror movie, which resulted from the collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster, failed to impress critics and audiences alike, earning a mere 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a disappointing C+ CinemaScore. The film revolves around a family facing disturbing developments when their missing daughter returns mummified. Despite the lukewarm reception, the film was produced with a reported budget of $22 million, and its total worldwide earnings are currently at $34 million after adding $20.5 million from international screenings.
Additionally, the Bob Odenkirk-led film Normal, which portrays a sheriff visiting a Midwestern town, also premiered this weekend, earning an estimated $2.7 million. Directed by Ben Wheatley and distributed by Magnolia, the film received a more favorable reception from critics, scoring 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, although it also received a C+ CinemaScore, with the audience predominantly comprising 65% males.
This weekend also saw a variety of notable limited and art house releases, such as the Lorne Michaels documentary Lorne and David Lowery's Mother Mary, featuring Anne Hathaway as a troubled pop star. Lorne made its debut in 414 theaters, collecting an estimated $270,000, while Mother Mary opened on five screens, generating $168,063.
The overall box office performance for this weekend showcased a significant uptick, recording a 16% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Comscore. Anticipation is building for next weekend with the release of the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, which is projected to earn between $60 million to $90 million in its opening weekend in North America, potentially setting a new record for musical biopics. Previously held by Straight Outta Compton, which opened with $60 million in 2015, any earnings beyond this threshold would underline the growing momentum within the film market.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
