Sony’s attempt to reboot the Men In Black franchise has entered box office tracking with Men In Black: International and it looks like it’s set to make a bit of a modest start.
The film, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, is tracking to make a $40 million debut at the box office. That’s lower than the $50 million+ openings of the previous films but they were all launched over holiday weekends (International opens on June 14) and this is a rebranding of the franchise so they’re essentially starting from scratch.
The original Men In Black opened in 1997 during a time when the name above the marquee really mattered. Will Smith was hot after the massive performance of Independence Day the year before over the July 4th weekend and Men In Black followed suit for the actor during the same weekend the next year. Essentially it’s a different time for films now at the box office so International will rise or fall ahead of its release due to reviews and early word of mouth.
Also breaking into tracking is Shaft, starring Samuel L. Jackson. The film has entered the field in the $20-22 million range which is on par with the opening of Paramount’s 2000 Shaft movie starring Samuel L. Jackson ($21.7 million opening, $70.3 million domestic). The conceit of the new film reflects the previous Shaft universe, with Richard Roundtree reprising his role as the elder Shaft from the 1971 original and Jackson along for the ride too. Jessie T. Usher stars as John Shaft Jr., a cybersecurity expert with a degree from MIT who enlists his family’s help to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death.
Things can change with both films leading up to their releases on June 14, especially once reviews hit and social media awareness hits a fever pitch.
