Things aren’t looking too rosy for director Steven S. DeKnight’s Pacific Rim Uprising. The Thursday numbers are in the for giant robot picture, and according to Variety, it’s made around $2.4M in its Thursday preview numbers. So where does that put its overall performance? Barring some unforeseen circumstances, it looks to bag $22M to $29M domestically in its opening weekend.

For comparison, the original Guillermo del Toro-directed film made $37M in its domestic opening, and that was considered something of a disappointment (though it was far from a flop). Last weekend’s Tomb Raider made around $23M, and even with its $94M budget, it was also a disappointment (and a step down from its predecessor). Given that Pacific Rim Uprising has a steeper budget of $150M, then I’d be surprised if this flick manages to break even, when all said and done.

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Of course, we have to wait for its CinemaScore to see how audiences feel about the thing, but critical reception has been split, and overall enthusiasm seems to be somewhat middling. Unless there’s a huge disconnect between audience opinion and critical reception, I don’t imagine this will be a film that boasts exceptional word of mouth. Without that word of mouth, I don’t see it sticking around incredibly long after a sub-$30M opening.

The one bright side here for the film is that it is on course to finally usurp Black Panther from its No. 1 spot at the weekend box office. In its sixth weekend, the Marvel Studios picture is looking to make around $15M to $18M, making it almost guaranteed to get knocked down a notch.

What do you think of these box office numbers? Will Pacific Rim Uprising be able to overcome a lackluster opening weekend? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Variety