'Maleficent' sequel wins the box office but performs below expectations

That's below industry projections and the opening weekend for the original, which was released in 2014.
Warner Bros.' "Joker" stays strong, coming in second place with $29.2 million.
Sony's "Zombieland: Double Tap" came in third with $26.7 million.

After Warner Bros.' dominance the last two weeks thanks to "Joker," Disney has stepped up to take the top spot at the domestic box office this weekend with "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil." However, this villain didn't do close to the same business the evil clown did.

"Mistress of Evil," which is a sequel to 2014's "Maleficent," in which Angelia Jolie reprises her role of the legendary Disney villain from "Sleeping Beauty," took in an estimated $36 million.

That's below the $40 million projection the industry had for the movie's opening.
And it's under the $69.4 million the original title earned in 2014.

That's not great for a movie with a reported budget of $185 million , however, if the first movie was any indication, "Mistress of Evil" will earn the bulk of its box office overseas. "Maleficent" brought in over $500 million in foreign tickets.

"Mistress of Evil" also had some competition. WB's "Joker" is staying strong in week three, coming in second place with $29.2 million. Made for around $60 million, the twisted drama now has a worldwide total of over $737 million.

Sony's "Zombieland: Double Tap," the sequel to 2009's "Zombieland," came in third place with $26.7 million. Though it took ten years to make a sequel, Sony made it for only $23.6 million , and that modest spending will likely lead to the studio breaking even or perhaps making a profit on the zombie comedy by the end of its run.

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