“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” was brought down to size at the weekend box office but was still easily No. 1, while the Elton John biopic “Rocketman” and the Octavia Spencer-led horror film “Ma” got off to strong starts.
The latest “Godzilla” installment came in slightly below industry expectations, opening with an estimated $49 million in ticket sales. That’s barely more than half of the $93 million debut of 2014’s “Godzilla.”
Last week’s top film, “Aladdin” slipped to second with $42 million.
Dexter Fletcher’s “Rocketman,” starring Taron Egerton, didn’t launch with the same bravado as last year’s Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It opened third with $25 million.
The weekend’s most profitable release was likely “Ma.” The Blumhouse Production thriller made $18.2 million on a $5 million budget.