It has been four years since studios released two major pictures against each other over Memorial Day weekend. But “Terminator Salvation,” which will attract primarily men, and “Night at the Museum: Battle of the 熟女Smithsonian,” a family film, appeal to entirely different audiences. That means they’re unlikely to substantially cut into each other’s grosses.
Neither “Terminator Salavation,” which Warner Bros. opened Thursday, nor “Night at the Museum,” which Fox debuts today, are expected to do as well as the last three movies to open on Memorial Day weekend. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” all grossed substantially more than $100 million over four days.
Pre-release tracking indicates “Terminator Salvation” could make about $70 million by Monday. The fourth film in the 25-year-old 熟女series grossed $3 million from midnight shows and, according to people following ticket sales, was likely to gross in the low teens Thursday.