The Purge: Election Year expunged The Legend of Tarzan and The BFG at the Thursday night box office.
The horror sequel opened with $3.6 million in Thursday night previews at 2,343 theaters. The Legend of Tarzan debuted respectably to $2.7 million, while Steven Spielberg’s The BFG launched with a modest $775,000.
The trio of new titles are expected to trail Finding Dory during the Independence Day weekend with Disney-Pixar’s blockbuster taking in at least $40 million over the four days. “Dory” has already topped $330 million domestically in less than two weeks.
Universal’s The Purge: Election Year outperformed its predecessors in Thursday night previews.
The third entry in the Blumhouse micro-budget franchise should debut to about $27 million across 2,796 locations over four days, a solid result given its $10 million price tag.
The films take place in a future America in which all crime, including murder, is legal for one night a year.
The Purge: Election Year stars Elizabeth Mitchell as a presidential candidate whose platform includes eliminating The Purge.
The original The Purge made $3.4 million in 2013 and The Purge: Anarchy took in $2.6 million in 2014.
