'T4' Edges Out 'Museum' by $3 M

Sunday Update:

The race for the top of Memorial Day weekend's box office is turning into a squeaker. "Terminator Salvation's" four-day total stands at $56.3 million while "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" is right on John Connor's heels with a two-day total of $53.5 million.

The comedy's two-day take already outdoes 2006's "Night at the Museum's" $42 million weekend debut. A Fox exec previously told TheWrap that the studio was expecting the sequel to hit the $42 million mark or slightly higher.

"T4" has also superseded its predecessor “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” which opened with $44 million in 2003.

"Star Trek" is firmly in the No. 3 spot with $22 million -- a 49 percent drop in sales in its third week of release. "Angels & Demons" follows with  $21.4 million -- a 53 percent drop in ticket sales from its debut weekend. The thriller has grossed $280 million worldwide in its first week of release.

"Dance Flick" rounds out the top 5 with $11 million. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" has exited the top five for the first time since it hit theaters. The mutant adventure grossed $7.8 million this weekend. 

Three-Day Weekend Estimates (from Hollywood.com)

"Terminator Salvation": $56.3 m

"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian:" $53.5 m

"Star Trek": $22 m

"Angels & Demons": $21. 4 m

"Dance Flick": $11 m

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine": $7.8 m

"Ghosts of Girlfriends Past": $3.7 m

"Obsessed": $2 m

"Monsters vs. Aliens" : $1.3 m

"17 Again": $1 m

Saturday Update:

"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" grossed a strong $15.3 million on Friday, according to Fox -- an indication that the sequel can easily outdo the first "Museum" movie's $42 million weekend debut.

Box-office frontrunner "Terminator: Salvation" added another $15 million on Friday, bringing its two day total to $28.7 million.

Ticket sales for last week's box-office winner "Angels & Demons" fell 64 percent to $6 million. "Star Trek" grossed $5.9 million on Friday -- a 50 percent drop from last week. "Dance Flick" premiered with with $3.9 million.

Friday Update:

"Terminator: Salvation" seems headed for an estimated $70 million for the holiday weekend. The McG reboot of the series took in $13.7 million on Thursday, including $3 million from Wednesday midnight showings.

It faces off on Friday against Ben Stiller's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," which is expected to bring in around $50 million over the weekend.

Thursday Update:

Midnight screenings of "Terminator: Salvation" took in an estimated $3 million.

Warner Bros. didn't say how many theaters offered the midnight shows. The film will be going up against Fox's "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" beginning Friday. 

Earlier:

The Terminator is -- as promised -- back.

This Memorial Day weekend, John Connor is out to clobber some stiff competition and perhaps even swipe “X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s” $85 million crown for best opening of 2009. 

The $200 million “Salvation” opens Wednesday at midnight in 3,500 theaters. MovieTickets.com reports that 322 screenings of “Salvation” have already sold out. The $150 million sequel to “Night at the Museum” should also do nicely by offering moviegoers an alternative to gritty robot-on-human violence. "Battle of the Smithsonian" lands in 4,000 theaters on Friday.

Given “Terminator's” history and the box office’s upward momentum, it seems “Salvation” could hit $70 million by Sunday.

All of the previous “Terminator” movies opened at No.

 

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