Watch ‘Superman’ crush ‘Smurfs’ and ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ at the weekend box office

Moviegoers don’t seem to be embracing nostalgia this weekend, as Sony’s I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot and Paramount’s Smurfs stumble into theaters with underwhelming debuts. Meanwhile, James Gunn’s Superman is set for another heroic weekend at the box office, expected to pull in $60 million in its second frame. In the runner-up spot, Jurassic World Rebirth continues to hold on, projected to earn around $20 million in its third week.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is carving out an opening in the $13 million range, making it the top-performing new release of the weekend. Critics have not been kind to the reboot, awarding it a lackluster 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, are more forgiving, with the sequel securing a 69% audience score on the site — the best in the franchise’s history.

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The reboot arrives 26 years after the original, which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillippe. The latest installment reunites Hewitt and Prinze Jr. while introducing a new generation of cast members, including Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, and Gabbriette Bechtel. Additionally, Gellar and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer star Brandy Norwood make nostalgic cameo appearances.

On the family-friendly front, the Smurfs reboot may end up with box office receipts about "three apples high." Despite the involvement of megastar Rihanna, who voices Smurfette and contributes original songs to the soundtrack, the film is struggling to attract interest. Current projections place its opening weekend in the $8 million - $12 million range. With these low numbers, it seems audiences aren’t feeling the blue magic this time around.

Meanwhile, Eddington, the latest offering from A24 and auteur Ari Aster, is facing a quiet debut with less than $5 million expected. Despite boasting a powerhouse cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler — along with whispers of early Oscar buzz — the film’s polarized reviews seem to be keeping wider audiences at bay.

Rounding out the top five for this July 18–20 weekend is F1: The Movie, which is projected to earn a solid $10 million. Brad Pitt's high-octane racing drama, featuring thrilling visuals and strong word-of-mouth from motorsport fans, is positioning itself as a steady counterprogramming option in this crowded release slate.

NEW RELEASES

SmurfsDirector: Chris MillerDistributor: Paramount PicturesWhen Papa Smurf is taken by evil wizards Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette leads the Smurfs on a mission to the real world to save him. The animated adventure, starring Rihanna, James Corden, and Nick Offerman, has a running time of one hour, 32 minutes, and is rated PG. Smurfsis certified "rotten" with a 22 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally unfavorbale" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 30 percent.

I Know What You Did Last SummerDirector: Jennifer Kaytin RobinsonDistributor: Sony PicturesA group of friends are terrorized by a stalker who knows about a gruesome incident from their past. The horror movie, starring Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, and Jonah Hauer-King, has a running time of one hour, 51 minutes, and is rated R. I Know What You Did Last Summeris certified "rotten" with a 38 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "mixed" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 43 percent.

EddingtonDirector: Ari AsterDistributor: A24In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico. The Neo-Western satirical comedy, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone, has a running time of two hours, 28 minutes, and is rated R. Eddingtonis certified "fresh" with a 67 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorable" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 66 percent.

Here are Gold Derby's predictions box-office rankings for the top five:

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1. Superman2.Jurassic World Rebirth3. I Know What You Did Last Summer4. Smurfs5. F1: The Movie

Do you agree or disagree with those rankings?Make your predictions right now— it's fun and easy!

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