“Terminator: Dark Fate” Fails To Meet Expectations At The Box Office

While Terminator: Dark Fate was able to land the top spot at the box office this weekend, that information only tells half of the story. Having only reached $29 million in North America, according to Variety, the sixth film in the Terminator franchise fell far below expectations. 

Given that the movie had a budget of $185 million, earning a mere $29 million on opening weekend is a major let down. Expectations for the film sat around $40 million for opening weekend. Critically, it’s been receiving fairly positive reviews, currently holding a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.6 on IMDb. Owen Gleiberman of Variety writes, “a lean, tough, and absorbing sequel that taps back into the enthralling surface of the “Terminator” series’ comic-book kinetics as well as the sinister sweet spot of its grandiose pulp mythology.”

Luckily, the overseas numbers are still strong. Terminator: Dark Fate earned $72.9 million internationally. 

Dark Fate is the first Terminator film since 1991 and stars original cast members Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tim Miller directed the film but James Cameron, who directed the original Terminator, joined on as a producer. 

In other box office news, Edward Norton’s “Motherless Brooklyn” was only able to squeeze into the top 10, generating $3.6 million in North America. Norton directed, produced and stars in the film which follows a private detective with Tourette’s syndrome attempting to solve a murder mystery. The film’s budget was set at $26 million.