By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --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 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-starrer is projected to take in $76.6 million over the four-day holiday weekend.
It was the second-lowest domestic opening for the nearly $4 billion franchise, but the latest film, which cost a reported $230 million to produce, has massive international appeal. Its four-day global total is expected to hit $300 million.
Having the majority of profits come from international receipts is not worrying Walt Disney Studios.
"This is a trend that we've seen play out over the course of these films," said Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Disney. "'Pirates' is a huge spectacle film of the kind that international audiences continue to be drawn toward … but the domestic response also shows that the audience for this film is clearly there."
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. Including Thursday earnings, the film is projected to collect $26.6 million by the close of Memorial Day.
Even "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" did better in its fourth weekend. The space opera added $19.9 million to take second place ahead of "Baywatch" at the box office.
The "Baywatch" miss could be attributable to a couple of factors. Even with the star power of Johnson, R-rated Hollywood updates to family friendly television shows have a dubious track record, ComScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said.
Earlier this year, Dax Shepard's R-rated update of "CHiPs" tanked, netting only $18.6 million domestically against a $25 million budget.
This month's box office has also been tough on nearly every film except "Guardians of the Galaxy."
"'Baywatch' doesn't stand alone as a casualty in this marketplace," Dergarabedian said. "It's joining a cadre of other films that have underperformed."
Even the decently reviewed "Alien: Covenant" dropped an uncommonly steep 71 percent in its second weekend in theaters to take fourth place with $10.5 million. The teen romance "Everything, Everything" rounded out the top five with $6.2 million.
"Hollywood needs June to save the box office world," Dergarabedian said.
First up to that challenge: "Wonder Woman."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1."Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," $62.2 million ($208.4 million international).
2."Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $19.9 million ($8.6 million international).
3."Baywatch," $18.1 million.
4."Alien: Covenant," $10.5 million ($10.8 million international).
5."Everything, Everything," $6.2 million.
6."Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul," $4.4 million ($2.4 million international).
7."Snatched," $3.9 million ($1.4 million international).
8."King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," $3.2 million ($10 million international).
9."The Boss Baby," $1.7 million ($2.9 million international).
10."Beauty and the Beast," $1.6 million ($3.8 million international).
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," $208.4 million.
2. "Alien: Covenant," $10.8 million.
3. "Dangal," $10.6 million.
4. "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," $10 million.
5. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $8.6 million.
6. "Get Out," $7.3 million.
7. "Our President," $4.3 million.
8. "God of War," $4.2 million.
9. "Beauty and the Beast," $3.8 million.
10. "The Fate of the Furious," $3.3 million.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More