'Star Trek' leads a light summer box office during Comic-Con weekend
Star Trek Beyond is looking at an estimated $59.6 million finish for its opening weekend. That's low for a sequel whose two predecessors opened at north of $70 million.
Of course, Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) both opened in the more lucrative May timeframe. Both were also directed by geek darling J.J. Abrams, who produces Beyond while Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) directs.
And let's not forget there is an army of fan-geeks -- Trek's core audience -- swarming San Diego Comic-Con right now.
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Whatever the reason -- it's probably a mix of both factors -- Star Trek Beyond is not an opening weekend home run. One wonders if attendance will improve as the positive critical reception spreads, particularly around star Anton Yelchin, who was tragically killed in June.
The Secret Life of Pets is a distant #2 behind Trek, with an estimated $29.3 million. It's a strong third weekend showing for Universal's surprise hit, which should finish the weekend with more than $260 million in total at the domestic box office.
The back half of the top five is a close race. Newcomer Lights Out and Ghostbusters have identical $21.6 million weekend estimates and #5 placeholder Ice Age: Collision Course (another newcomer) is just behind them at $21 million.
The big box office conversation of the weekend really comes down to one question: did Paramount miscalculate in releasing Star Trek Beyond on a weekend when some of its most dedicated fans were immersed in Comic-Con?
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
