Industry polling service NRG has adjusted its forecast for The Mummy – and it’s not looking too good for Universal’s budding franchise-starter.
Pegged to launch on June 9th, the report claims Alex Kurtzman’s fantastical reboot is now headed for a domestic opening in the region of $35 million. It’s a somewhat disconcerting downgrade from NRG’s original estimation of $38 million, which is a tepid debut for a Tom Cruise-fronted blockbuster in and of itself. When pulled together, it’s enough to leave Universal brass on edge, but THR reports that the studio is now looking to The Mummy‘s performance overseas as a way to offset its lukewarm debut in North America, where it looks set to get trampled by the so-hot-right-now Wonder Woman. Indeed, Patty Jenkins’ tour-de-force – an inspiring, beautifully told origin story of the great Diana Prince – is reportedly on course to land $50 million-plus during its second weekend on the market.
By stark contrast, box office analyst Jeff Bock believes there’s a general feeling of “been there, done that” looming over The Mummy, writing that, Universal’s summer tentpole “arrives with the feel of another reboot — something audiences, especially in North America, have become all-too familiar with. It had better succeed overseas.”
Can Universal’s imminent reboot prove the doubters wrong? It is, of course, important to stress that forecasts of this nature have been wrong in the past, but considering that The Mummy is poised to launch a full-blown franchise of loosely connected monster movies – a franchise that will, through time, make room for The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame – it only lumps more pressure on the film’s mummified shoulders.
All will be revealed when The Mummy is summoned into theaters on Friday, June 9th. Expect our review to be live soon, then, and if it’s more coverage you’re after, just yesterday Universal conjured up a hoard of screenshots designed to showcase the film’s leading characters – both human and otherwise.
