Paramount, Skydance and Disney’s “Terminator: Dark Fate” failed to ignite much traction overseas, launching with a soft $72.9 million from 48 international territories.
The sixth “Terminator” installment debuted with a dismal $29 million in North America, bringing worldwide ticket sales to $123 million. That’s a disappointing result considering the movie cost $185 million before considering global marketing and distribution fees. Disney is releasing the movie in all foreign territories aside from China, where Tencent Pictures is handling distribution. Paramount is distributing the movie in North America. All three companies co-financed the film, meaning any potential losses will be broken up among the different players.
“Terminator: Dark Fate” had the strongest start in China with a tepid $28 million, followed by Korea with $9.8 million and the United Kingdom with $6.9 million. Imax screens accounted for $9 million of global ticket sales, $2.9 million of which came from China.
“Dark Fate” reunites series creator James Cameron with stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger for the first “Terminator” movie since 1991’s “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” They were joined by new cast members Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes and Gabriel Luna. In this installment, Sarah Connor (Hamilton) must protect a young girl from a deadly new Terminator from the future. Tim Miller (“Deadpool”) directed from a screenplay by David S. Goyer (“The Dark Knight,” “Blade”), Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray.
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Warner Bros.’ “Joker” continues to be a major force overseas, declining just 24% and earning $37 million from 79 markets. Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the notorious Batman villain has made $634.4 million at the international box office, boosting its global bounty to a mighty $934 million. Given its strong hold, crossing the $1 billion milestone looks likely.
Another Warner Bros.’ thriller, “Doctor Sleep,” kicked off with $5.6 million from nine foreign territories. The sequel to Stephen King’s “The Shining,” “Doctor Sleep” had the biggest opening in the United Kingdom with $1.9 million. Other top markets include Italy with $1.3 million, France with $986,000 and Spain with $748,000.
Among holdovers, Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” brought in $40 million this weekend, taking its international bounty to $298.9 million. After three weeks in theaters, the “Maleficent” sequel has generated $383.2 million. With a hefty $185 million price tag, Disney is banking on overseas audiences to help “Maleficent” turn a profit. Though the first film earned a massive $500 million abroad, “Maleficent 2” has already surpassed the lifetime tally of the original in 11 markets, including China ($46.9 million), Russia ($28.2 million) and France ($15.3 million).
Elsewhere, “The Addams Family” pocketed another $25.9 million for an international tally of $44 million. The animated movie debuted this weekend in Russia with $6.1 million, Brazil with $1.1 million, Peru with $400,000, Hong Kong with $400,000 and the Philippines with $400,000.
I went to see with some fans. They said, its was okay. Not a movie event.
On its own, Terminator: Dark Fate is actually a decent action movie. However, as an entry in the franchise and the sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Dark Fate is an insult to audiences and fans.
Dark Fate made the same mistake made by Aliens 3, the Ghostbusters reboot/remake, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi: the movies killed off, sabotaged and/or undermined characters who built the franchises and were beloved by fans, and defeated the purposes of the earlier movies. That is the sure way to kill a franchise.
Also, saw The Joker twice and will see it again. I absolute love – and support – the movie messages of anti-establishment, anti-neoliberalism, anti-rich and anti-status-quo. I think CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and all the establishment media and defenders of the status quo understand those messages too. That was why they were all freaking out over the movies and wanted to deter people from seeing the movie. It was not enough for The Washington Post, The New York Times or another neoliberal establishment publications to give a bad review to The Joker. For over a week after The Joker came out, those papers ran at least one negative articles (often more in a day) to attack and smear the movie as if The Joker was Bernie Sanders himself.
When audiences saw The Joker gunned down the three “Wall Street guys” in self-defense, we cheered – because we all witnessed how the rich and Wall Street guys got away with fat bonuses after committing the financial crimes of 2008. In the anti-establishment, anti-neoliberalism protests that are going all over the world right now, (protests that all the mainstream media in America is trying to hide,) protestors are putting on the makeup of the Joker. And that is precisely what scares the shits out of all those Ivy League-educated elites and thoroughbreds who work in the establishment media and want to continue to control the narrative.
After The Joker makes $1 billion, let’s hope The Joker will win big at the Oscar. That should really make their heads explode.
Take your meds.