Warner Bros. rolled out its video game rebootTomb Raiderlast night for Thursday sneak previews, and theBox Officeresults were not groundbreaking, but still a lot better than expected.Tomb Raidertook in an estimated $2.1 million in sneak peek screenings that took place in over 3,100 theaters last night, before it opens in 3,854 theaters starting today. Most analysts are predicting an opening weekend in the mid $20 million range, although most also haveBlack Pantherjust beating it with a fifth-weekend gross in the high $20 million range.
Unfortunately forTomb Raider, it isn’t getting much help from critics, with its opening day score on Rotten Tomatoes nearly split right down the middle with 49% (71 positive reviews, 73 negative reviews). The movie’s 3,854 theater count puts it in the same ballpark as four-time box office champBlack Panther(3,942) and last week’s runner-upA Wrinkle In Time(3,980), although its middling critical reception mayhinder its box office performance. With bothTomb RaiderandBlack Pantherexpected to play at least in the mid $20 million range, it may be a closer weekend than most expected.
Alicia Vikander takes over the Lara Croft mantlein this version ofTomb Raider, which comes 17 years after Angelina Jolie starred as the iconic video game character in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and 15 years after its 2003 sequel Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life. Surprisingly, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider still holds the all-time record for the highest-grossing video game adaptation at the domestic box office ($131.2 million), althoughWarcraftbroke the worldwide record with $433.6 million in 2016, despite tanking at the domestic box office with $47.3 million. If thisTomb Raiderreboot does open in the mid $20 million range, and posts minimal decreases throughout the spring, it could have a shot at dethroning its predecessor’s record.
The story is adapted from the2013 reboot of the video game series, which focuses on a much younger Lara Croft as she goes on her first ever adventure, tracking down her long-missing father. Alicia Vikander leads a diverse cast that also includes Walton Goggins as Mathias Vogel, the villainous character from the video game reboot, with Dominic West as Lara’s father, Richard Croft, Daniel Wu playing Lara’s ally Lu Ren, Kristin Scott Thomas as Ana Miller, the former business partner of Lara’s father, and Derek Jacobi as Mr. Yaffe.
Roar Uthaug, a Norwegian director best known for the critically-acclaimed filmThe Wave, directsTomb Raiderfrom ascript by Geneva Robertson-Dworet(Captain Marveland Alastair Siddons (Trespass Against Us). The movie was made on a relatively modest budget of $94 million, so if it can ring up a debut in the mid to high $20 million range, with a decent haul overseas, it could end up turning a modest profit for the studio. The projections fromBox Office Mojostill putBlack Pantheron top for a fifth straight weekend, which would make the Marvel movie the first sinceAvatarto win for five straight weekends in a row. Check back on Sunday to see ifBlack Pantherretains its top spot, or ifTomb Raidercan pull off an upset win.
