For the second time in the span of a month, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media have released another box office flop.
Terminator: Dark Fate, the sixth installment of the once-beloved post-apocalyptic sci-fi franchise, was released across North America on Friday, Nov. 1.
In its opening weekend, Terminator: Dark Fate earned only US$29 million in ticket sales across the continent, according to Forbes. It was expected to pull in between $40 and 47 million but fell short.
Though the Tim Miller-directed action flick pulled in more than $102 million across the rest of the world, Dark Fate cost $185 million to produce — with marketing costs racking up an additional $80 to 100 million.
As reported by Variety, the whopping budget means the latest feature of the Terminator franchise could lose up to $100 million.
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While the majority of diehard fans of Terminator shunned and critiqued the series’ previous three films, Dark Fate was expected to be the biggest financial success since Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), as it’s the first instalment in 28 years to feature director James Cameron.
The 65-year-old filmmaker only served as the producer of Dark Fate. Fans seemed more excited about the long-awaited reunion of Arnold Schwarzenegger (T-800) and Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor).
It was also confirmed that the film would serve as a direct sequel to the first two — and most popular — Terminator films, The Terminator (1984) and T2, which Cameron directed.
Although the numbers for Dark Fate currently look grim, it’s possible the film could make a successful financial comeback, especially if the generally favourable reviews inspire a sudden resurgence in popularity for the franchise.
Either that, or Paramount Pictures will be left to secure itself a number of streaming and TV licensing deals post-theatrical release.
READ MORE: ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ review — Nostalgia, action aplenty in formulaic sequel
Terminator: Dark Fate is now playing in cinemas across Canada.
Watch the film’s trailer in the video above.
Global News’ review of the film can be read in full here.
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