AaliyahSaturday, 21 July 2018 ()
Two new mid-budget sequels — Universal’s “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and Sony’s “The Equalizer 2,” are on pace to beat expectations at the box office, with “Mamma Mia!” topping the charts with an estimated $39 million opening from 3,317 screens.That opening tops the $27 million start for the first “Mamma Mia!,” even after inflation adjustment. The first film opened against “The Dark Knight” in 2008, yet still went on to have huge legs at the box office with $144 million domestic and $609 million worldwide, holding the record for the highest-grossing female directed film of all-time until “Wonder Woman” topped it last year.
In second place is “Equalizer 2” with an estimated opening of $34 million from 3,388 screens. That matches the opening of the sequel’s 2014 predecessor, which went on to gross $101 million domestically. Pre-weekend tracking expected an opening in the mid-$20 million range.
More to come…