South Africa’s box office: Wonder Woman is mummified

Despite its record-breaking opening weekend, Wonder Woman has been ousted from number one by none other than critic-underdog The Mummy. The DC blockbuster was only allowed one short week at the top before the Mummy franchise rose from the dead to declare itself pharaoh — proving that if anyone is living in the Dark Universe, it’s us. But were any other successes as ominous this week? (9 to 11 June)

Yes, yes, they were.

Much like how the youth vote changed the outcome of the UK general election last week, so did it at South Africa’s box office. Ozzy, the animated film in which a dog is wrongfully imprisoned and must escape, found itself climbing one spot this week from sixth to fifth. Perhaps even more impressively, Boss Baby clawed itself back into the top ten, showing up in eighth despite its recent fall from the list.

What the kids didn’t like this week, though, was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and The Fate of the Furious, both of which dropped down two places to sixth and seventh respectively. But don’t pity F8 just yet: it still remains the highest life-to-date grosser with over R72-million in ticket sales.

Beauty and the Beast also found itself losing favour with South African audiences this week, finally exiting the top ten after more than two months on the chart.

Finally, it seems “youth vote” means strictly under thirteen, because despite Boss Baby being allowed a second chance at the top ten, teen drama Before I Fall hasn’t even been allowed a first. The film, a sad high school Groundhog Day, garnered an average 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, but was never going to compete with talking babies in suits. Shame.

Here are ten most-watched movies in SA this past weekend:

1. The Mummy (Incl. Imax)
2. Wonder Woman (Incl. 3D & Imax)
3. Baywatch
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge (Incl. 3D, IMAX & 4DX)
5. Ozzy
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Incl. 3D, Imax & 4DX)
7. Fast and Furious 8 (Incl. Imax & 4DX)
8. Boss Baby (Incl. 3D)
9. The Whole Truth
10. Gifted

The above list was provided by Ster Kinekor Entertainment.