Tomorrowland, a new Brad Bird sci-fi movie from Walt Disney Co., passed the North American box office in its premiere over a slow-moving Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Three-day overall ticket sales tallied around $151 million, a drop from a year before when they recorded $186.7 million and much less than 2013's Fast & Furious 6-powered high take of $254.6 million, said media viewing expert Rentrak Corp.
Tomorrowland, its name picked from Disney theme parks, grossed an estimated $32.2 million in the U.S and Canada, far below industry estimates of between $40 and $50 million, according to data from Rentrak. From producer Damon Lindelof and starring George Clooney, Disney spent about $190 million creating the picture.
In the Tomorrowland film, Clooney portrays a former boy genius Frank Walker, who has become world-weary and cynical until he encounters Casey Newton, acted by Britt Robertson. Casey Newton is a teen full of scientific curiosity that discovers a pin, which transports her to a futuristic place called Tomorrowland. Newton, the daughter of about to be dismissed NASA engineer, groups with Walker to uncover the mysteries of Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and a "B" rating from CinemaScore audiences. The motion picture, earning roughly $27 million overseas, garnered a 49 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Tomorrowland director Brad Bird had been on a streak before this movie, churning out critical and commercial hits such as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille.
Pitch Perfect 2 came in a close second in its second weekend almost retaining its box office lead, with an estimate of $30.3 million. Pitch Perfect 2 marks the return of Rebel Wilson and Anna Kendrick as members of a cappella ensemble, the Barden Bellas, which is trying to regain its rank after an embarrassing performance. The humbly budgeted sequel is already a hit with approximately $125 million in national receipts.
The Warner Bros. action epic Mad Max: Fury Road moved into third place with around $23.9 million. It has collected approximately $90 million domestically since its critical acclaim release last weekend.
In addition to Tomorrowland, the weekend's other new release was the re-creation of Poltergeist, which earned an estimated $23 million in fourth place.
The following has U.S. movie box-office records delivered by studios to Rentrak. The figures are computed based on actual movie ticket sales report for May 22 and May 23 and estimates for Sunday.
1. Tomorrowland $32.2 million
2. Pitch Perfect 2 $30.3 million
3. Mad Max: Fury Road $23.9 million
4. Poltergeist $23 million
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron $20.9 million
6. Hot Pursuit $3.5 million
7. Far From the Madding Crowd $2.3 million
8. Furious 7 $2.1 million
9. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 $1.8 million
10. Home $1.7 million
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