Like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and X-Men: Apocalypse before it, bad reviews for Wacraft have hampered its chances of making a significant amount at the North American box office this weekend. Instead, horror sequel The Conjuring 2 (directed by Aquaman helmer James Wan) earned $16.4 million on Friday for an impressive weekend haul of $38 million - $39 million which places it firmly at #1. Reviews have been positive and it has an A- CinemaScore, a rarity for a horror movie.
Warcraft on the other hand is looking at a debut of $26 million - $27 million, a poor result for a major blockbuster with a budget of $160 million. It has a B+ CinemaScore though, and the majority of fans do seem to be embracing the video game adaptation. However, like Pacific Rim and a number of other movies, the US may prove to be largely irrelevant when it comes to the possibility of a sequel.
The movie has been huge in China, earning a record $144.7 million in four days. By tomorrow, Warcraft will have earned $300 million worldwide, a figure which puts it in the black and could very well open the door to a follow-up depending how high it goes. We'll have to wait and see on that front, but things are looking good for the movie which initially appeared to be on the road to being a huge flop!