Men in Black: International to Win Opening Weekend at Weak Box Office

It seems franchise fatigue is plaguing the box office. In another slow weekend, Men in Black: International is set to top the charts with $26 million after earning $10.3 million on Friday. Other franchise sequels struggle in a similar manner.

Men in Black: International reunites Thor: Ragnarok co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. They play globetrotting agents tasked with defending Earth from shapeshifting aliens. The film has received poor reviews, including a 2 out of 5 from ComicBook.com Charlie Ridgley.

“I’m not going to say the talents of Thompson and Hemsworth are completely wasted, as they each have moments where their heart and comedic timing shine through the dull characters they’ve been given,” Ridgley writes. “Kumail Nanjiani’s Pawny is an absolute scene-stealer, helping to further solidify the fact that this man is one of Hollywood’s next truly great comedy stars. And even with a rough script, Gray has moments where he shows off how gifted he is with studio projects. There are multiple fight scenes throughout this movie where he far exceeds Sonnenfeld, creating real, grounded action out of extraterrestrial qualms.”

Shaft, another franchise film, opens in sixth place with $7.7 million. The film sees both Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Roundtree reprising their roles as Shaft, but even that wasn’t enough to elevate the sleepy sequel.

Last week’s box office winner, The Secret Life of Pets 2, moves into second place this weekend with $23.4 million. Aladdin, a success for Disney, lands in third place with $17.1 million. Dark Phoenix, the beleaguered X-Men movies finale, slides into fourth with $8.2 million for the weekend.

What are you seeing at the box office this weekend? What did you think of Men in Black: International? Let us know in the comments, and keep reading to see this week’s box office top 10.

1. Men in Black: International

Opening Weekend
Friday: $10.3 million
Total: $26 million

The Men in Black have expanded to cover the globe, but so have the villains of the universe. When aliens that can take the form of any human arrive on Earth, H and M embark on a globe-trotting adventure to save the agency — and ultimately the world.

Men in Black: International is directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway.  The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, and Tim Blaney.

2. The Secret Life of Pets 2

Week Two
Friday: $6.7 million
Weekend: $23.4 million
Total: $91.6 million

Max the terrier must cope with some major life changes when his owner gets married and has a baby. When the family takes a trip to the countryside, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his neuroses.

The Secret Lives of Pets 2 is directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Jonathan del Val, and written by Brian Lynch. The film’s voice cast includes Patton Oswalt, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Tiffany Haddish, Lake Bell, Nick Kroll, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, and Harrison Ford.

3. Aladdin

Week Four
Friday: $4.7 million
Weekend: $17.1 million
Total: $263.8 million

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1992 classic, Aladdin is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future.

Aladdin is directed by Guy Ritchie, written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s animated feature of the same name. The film stars Will Smith; Mena Massoud; Naomi Scott; Marwan Kenzari; Navid Negahban; Nasim Pedrad; Billy Magnussen; and Numan Acar.

4. Dark Phoenix

Week Two
Friday: $2.4 million
Weekend: $8.2 million
Total: #51 million

This is the story of one of the X-Men’s most beloved characters, Jean Grey, as she evolves into the iconic Dark Phoenix. During a life-threatening rescue mission in space, Jean is hit by a cosmic force that transforms her into one of the most powerful mutants of all. Wrestling with this increasingly unstable power as well as her own personal demons, Jean spirals out of control, tearing the X-Men family apart and threatening to destroy the very fabric of our planet. The film is the most intense and emotional X-Men movie ever made. It is the culmination of 20 years of X-Men movies, as the family of mutants that we’ve come to know and love must face their most devastating enemy yet — one of their own.

Dark Phoenix is written and directed by Simon Kinberg and stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, and Jessica Chastain.

5. Rocketman

Week Three
Friday: $2.3 million
Weekend: $7.75 million
Total: $65.1 million

An epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years.

Rocketman is directed by Dexter Fletcher, written by Lee Hall, and stars Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard.

6. Shaft

Opening Weekend
Friday: $2.7 million
Weekend: $7.7 million

John Shaft Jr. may be an FBI cyber security expert, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education that only his dad can provide. Absent throughout his childhood, the legendary John Shaft agrees to help his son navigate the heroin-infested underbelly of Harlem, N.Y. Besides, the locked and loaded Shaft has his own score to settle — both professional and personal.

Shaft is directed by Tim Story, written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow, and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jessie Usher, and Richard Roundtree.

7. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Week Three
Friday: $2 million
Weekend: $7.4 million
Total: $93 million

Members of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species-thought to be mere myths-rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty from a script written by Dougherty, Zach Shields, and Max Borenstein. The film stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe, and Zhang Ziyi.

8. John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

Week Five
Friday: $1.4 million
Weekend: $5.6 million
Total: $148.1 million

After gunning down a member of the High Table — the shadowy international assassin’s guild — legendary hit man John Wick finds himself stripped of the organization’s protective services. Now stuck with a $14 million bounty on his head, Wick must fight his way through the streets of New York as he becomes the target of the world’s most ruthless killers.

John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum is directed by Chad Stahelski from a screenplay written by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams, based on a story by Kolstad. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane.

9. Late Night

Week Two
Friday: $1.66 million
Weekend: $4.7 million
Total: $4.9 million

A late-night talk show host’s world is turned upside down when she hires her first and only female staff writer. Originally intended to smooth over diversity concerns, her decision brings about unexpectedly hilarious consequences as the two women who are separated by culture and generation become united by their love of a biting punchline.

Late Night is directed by Nisha Ganatra, written by Mindy Kaling, and stars Emma Thompson, Kaling, Max Casella, Hugh Dancy, John Lithgow, Denis O’Hare, Reid Scott, and Amy Ryan.

10. Ma

Week Three
Friday: $1.1 million
Weekend: $3.8 million
Total: $40.5 million

A lonely middle-aged woman befriends some teenagers and decides to let them party in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober, don’t curse, and never go upstairs. They must also refer to her as Ma. But as Ma’s hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma’s place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on Earth.

Ma is directed by Tate Taylor, from a screenplay by Taylor and Scotty Landes. The film stars Octavia Spencer, Juliette Lewis, Diana Silvers, Luke Evans, McKaley Miller, Missi Pyle, Corey Fogelmanis, Marjay Ross, Gianni Paolo, and Dante Brown.