Baywatch Sinks Like the Rock

It was smooth sailing to the top spot at the box office for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, but the waters were choppier for the much-derided Dwayne Johnson comedy Baywatch. Studio estimates on Sunday say the fifth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise commandeered $62.2 million in its first three days in theaters. The Johnny Depp-starring flick is projected to take in $76.6 million over the four-day holiday weekend, reports the AP. Despite its top spot, however, the latest is showing what Variety calls "a serious case of franchise fatigue." To wit, it's the lowest finish for a Pirates movie since the original; Dead Man's Chest was the peak with $135.6 million.

The R-rated Baywatch, meanwhile, is sinking like a rock. The critically derided update of the 1990s TV show earned only $18.1 million over the weekend against a nearly $70 million price tag. Even Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 did better in its third weekend. The space opera added $19.1 million. Rounding out the top five, per Box Office Mojo, were Alien: Covenant with $10.5 million and Everything, Everything with $6.2 million, (More box office stories.)