Overview
- The Warner Bros. sequel opened atop North America with an estimated $30 million from 4,146 theaters and about $46 million worldwide for the weekend of Sept. 11–13.
- Early showings powered the start: Thursday previews drew roughly $4.7 million and Friday totals were about $13 million including those previews.
- Audiences have reacted warmly with a roughly 92–93% Rotten Tomatoes audience score and a B+ CinemaScore while critics gave the film low marks in the mid-30s on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The film carries a reported $75 million production budget and significant marketing costs, so weak early returns increase pressure on Warner Bros. to expand beyond an older, female-skewed fan base to reach profitability.
- Compared with the 1998 original, the sequel’s opening is roughly 2–2.3 times larger, but industry trackers had forecast a higher debut and analysts say next weekend’s box-office hold will be decisive for sequel plans.