‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ Stronger Overseas, Opens to $150 Million Worldwide

Pacific Rim: Uprising won its opening weekend at the domestic box office despite lackluster overall numbers, but the film is performing far stronger in international markets.

Pacific Rim: Uprising opened to $122.5 million in 61 international markets. That includes $65 million from its opening in China, bringing its worldwide box office total to $150 million.

Pacific Rim: Uprising earned $28 million in its domestic opening weekend. The original Pacific Rim followed a similar pattern when it opened in 2013, underperforming in the United States and North America while delivering a large enough international box office take to justify a sequel. However, Pacific Rim: Uprising is starting even slower than its predecessor domestically. The first film, which was directed by Guillermo del Toro, earned $37 million in its first domestic opening weekend.

The original Pacific Rim ultimately went on to earned $411 million worldwide, including $112 million in China and $101.8 million in the United States.

Pacific Rim: Uprising has received more mixed critical reactions than its predecessor. The original holds a “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes score of 71 percent. Pacific Rim: Uprising is currently ranked as “rotten” with 41 percent. Uprising received a B CinemaScore.

ComicBook.com’s Kofi Outlaw gave the film a three-star review, saying, “In the end, Pacific Rim: Uprising is a monsters vs. robots movie that’s been streamlined to accent its biggest selling point. If anime-style action is all you ever wanted from the franchise, you arguably might enjoy the sequel more with its cooler lineup of Jaegers and monsters. If story was a problem for you the first time around, then this second chapter might make your head explode.”

Time will tell of Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures feel like Pacific Rim: Uprising’s box office is enough to justify another film in the series.

Pacific Rim: Uprising is directed by Steven S. DeKnight, with del Toro producing. The film stars John Boyega as Jake Pentecost, the son of Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) from the original movie, along with returning stars Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, and Burn Gorman, and series newcomers Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Jing Tian, Adria Arjona, and Zhang Jin.

Pacific Rim: Uprising is now playing in theaters.