Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” is in first place at the box office this weekend, but the numbers aren't as good as they used to be for a "Pirates" film.
Johnny Depp’s fifth outing as Jack Sparrow is expected to take in around $77 million after the weekend is over--and yes that is low for a movie franchise this popular and an actor this well loved. The film cost around $230 million to make and that difference will come from overseas theaters.
“Dead Men Tell No Tales” is the lowest opening for a Pirates movie apart from the original, which earned over $46 million in its first weekend (and was also the only one given a thumbs up by critics).
Over time, the “Pirates” franchise has become more reliant on overseas ticket sales, and that’s certainly the case this time out. The three-day estimate overseas is a whopping $208.4 million. Globally, the movie is expected to make $270.6 million this weekend, and over $300 million by the end of the four-day holiday weekend. Since the franchise still makes money (even if U.S. figures are dwindling) this may not be the last we see of Captain Sparrow.
Meanwhile,“Baywatch” was hoping to make a summer splash, but looks to have ended up in the kiddie pool. The film should end up with a four-day holiday weekend with $22 million (not counting the money it made in sneaks on Wednesday). That’s far below early estimates. The movie cost over $60 million to make.
Paramount Pictures blames this on bad reviews. And like "Pirates," they are hoping that they can recoup their losses overseas where it has not yet opened.
“Baywatch” will land in third behind Disney’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” which has proven to be the only major hit to emerge from the summer box office so far. The sequel looks to pull in another $24.2 million over the four-day weekend, raising its domestic total close to $340 million.
Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron star in the comedy based on the 1990s NBC drama starring David Hasselhoff and a team of lifeguards who patrolled the beaches of Los Angeles. This time around, it’s Johnson, an experienced and devoted lifeguard, who butts heads with a new recruit, Efron, until they uncover a criminal plot. The film was shot in Savannah and on Tybee Island.
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