Last weekend saw Disney’s live-action remake ofAladdinwork its magic on the Memorial Day box office with a very impressive $116 million over the course of the four-day holiday. However, it looks like there’s going to be a new king in town asGodzilla: King of the Monstersis set to stomp into cinemas, and he’s bringing Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah with him. Additionally, the buzzy Elton John biopicRocketmanlooks to get a solid start, as does Blumhouse’s latest horror/thriller,Ma.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the sequel to 2014’s American Godzilla, looks to take the topbox officespot in its first weekend. Estimates have director Michael Dougherty’s entry into the MonsterVerse bringing in between $50 and $70 million. Even in the best case scenario, it won’t match the take of its predecessor, which managed $93 million on its opening weekend five years ago. It may not even match the opening weekend take ofKong: Skull Island, which pulled in $61 million on its first frame in 2017
Still, it’s a relatively solid number and should help to justify the already-filmed Godzilla vs. Kong, which is dated for May 2020. Not helping matters any are the early reviews, which have been rather mixed. As it stands,Godzilla: King of the Monstersholds a poor 43 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, it seems to be riding on a love/hate line, with some critics absolutely adoring the all-out monster action, while others feel the movie suffers as a result of too much focus on spectacle. It will be interesting to see how general audiences respond in comparison.
Aladdinshould come in second place with between $40 and $50 million. Disney’s latest live-action remake has been doing reasonably well, despite mixed reviews. Next up will beRocketman, which stars Taron Egerton as famed singer/songwriter Elton John. The movie has been earning rave reviews ever since its debut at Cannes and should blast off to a debut of between $20 and $30 million.
Blumhouse looks to have another hit on their hands withMa, which stars Octavia Spencer in the lead role. The low-budget horror flick should pull in around $20 million, which would be a great start, given its low cost to produce. Elsewhere,Avengers: Endgamemay finally fall out of the top five as it inches closer toAvatar’s all-time record. Also worth looking at isBooksmartin its second weekend. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut has been met with critical praise, but has failed to live up to box office expectations. Be sure to check out our full list of weekend box office predictions and check back with us on Sunday for a full list of weekend estimates. Numbers used in this report were provided by Box Office Mojo.
