“Dark Phoenix,” the X-Men sequel from Disney and Fox, has earned $5 million in its Thursday box office previews, while “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” which is projected similarly this weekend, earned $2.3 million in its previews from 3,250 screens with showings beginning at 6 p.m.“Dark Phoenix” is Disney’s first major tentpole release following the acquisition of the Fox slate, and it’s the final film with the current cast of X-Men characters before becoming part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The studio is projecting an opening between $40-50 million for “Dark Phoenix,” with independent trackers saying it could go as high as $55 million in what is expected to be a close race for the top spot against “Secret Life of Pets 2.”A $55 million opening for “Dark Phoenix” would be just above the series low opening of the previous installment, 2016’s “X-Men: Apocalypse.” That film made $53 million in its opening
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