If you were to ask me last week whether I thought the Shailene Woodley-led drama The Fault in Our Stars would outperform the Tom Cruise-starring sci-fi/action film Edge of Tomorrow, I’d have scoffed in your face and said “No chance.” Yet, here we are Monday morning and that’s exactly what happened. The Fault in Our Stars opened to $48m while Edge of Tomorrow only garnered $29m. Could it be a sign of Woodley’s rising star, Cruise’s fading star, audiences’ fatigue over summer sci-fi/action blockbusters, or something else entirely?
Whatever it may be, this doesn’t bode well for Cruise. This is the third film in a row for the actor that has severely underperformed at domestic box offices. 2012’s Jack Reacher only made $80m in North America and 2013’s Oblivion made $89m. Luckily, his name still carries some weight overseas as the aforementioned films found financial success in international box offices. Still, it’s a sign that Cruise might be in the twilight of his career.
You can read this weekend’s full box office numbers below.
1. The Fault in Our Stars – $48,200,000
2. Maleficent – $33,523,000
3. Edge of Tomorrow – $29,105,000
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past – $14,700,000
5. A Million Ways to Die in the West – $7,189,000
6. Godzilla – $5,950,000
7. Neighbors – $5,200,930
8. Blended – $4,050,000
9. Chef – $2,600,000
10. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – $1,900,000
[via Rentrak]