'Baywatch' Flopped at the Box Office During Opening Weekend

'Baywatch' flopped during its opening weekend at the box office, coming in well under expectations in theaters.

This is a photo of Baywatch.
Getty

Image via Getty/Alexander Tamargo

This is a photo of Baywatch.

If you thought a bunch of attractive movie stars parading around in bathing suits was enough to sell a movie, you were apparently wrong. Baywatch had a rough opening weekend at the box office, finishing well under what early estimates expected out of the summer flick.

Not even the star power of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was enough to saveBaywatch. The movie pulled in an estimated $22 million in its first three days, well below the expected $40 million it was projected to make. Early reviews may have been the killing blow for Baywatch—review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has it listed with a 19 percent fresh rating based on 130 reviews, while Metacritic has it scored as a 37 based on 41 reviews.

Paramount distribution chief Megan Colligan was a believer in that hypothesis. “I think we got pretty stung by reviews,” she toldVariety. “It research tested extremely well. We’re hopeful that our international numbers will help us with our overall.”

Regardless of the reasoning, Baywatch still has a ways to go to become even a small success. With an estimated budget in the $60-65 million range, the film has a lot of ground to cover to turn a profit for the studio. This might kill earlier chatter of a sequel, which was something the actors sound like they're interested in, including co-star Alexandra Daddario.

"I would love to," she said prior to the film's release. "I think it’s very cool to be part of a franchise, and I think it helps get other work. It’s fun. You get to travel the world and work with these amazing people, and you get to make people laugh, so I’m completely down for it.”

Daddario and her coworkers are unlikely to get a chance at a sequel if box office sales don't pick up for Baywatch. If you want to make sure there's another round at the beach, you better get your butt in a movie theater seat ASAP. 

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