Box office: ‘Magic Mike XXL’ outpaces ‘Terminator Genisys’ in Tuesday pre-shows

“Magic Mike XXL” outmuscled the “Terminator” at the movie box office in Tuesday evening pre-shows.

The R-rated sequel, released by Warner Bros., collected $2.4 million in Tuesday evening pre-shows, putting it slightly ahead of the $2.3-million launch for “Terminator Genisys.”

With a budget of under $15 million to make, the “Magic Mike” sequel is expected to be a hit for Warner Bros. The original film, released in 2012, overperformed with a robust opening of $39.2 million. It attracted largely female audiences, drawn to a story line based loosely on Channing Tatum’s experience as a stripper.

This time around, the group of friends (including Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash and Adam Rodriguez) road-trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to perform at a stripper convention. So far, it’s racked up a decent 57% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Terminator Genisys,” which cost $155 million to make, is the fifth installment in the popular sci-fi franchise. Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions are hoping to recapture the fan base of the “Terminator” franchise while also drawing in a new generation of moviegoers. A sixth and seventh installment are reportedly already on deck.

The Alan Taylor-directed film follows Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), who is sent back to 1984 by John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance, to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future. An unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline, leading Reese, Connor and a Terminator ally (Arnold Schwarzenegger) on a mission to reset the future.

Reviews for the latest installment have been mixed. The film earned a paltry 27% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and critics have been giving it generally poor reviews.

The film marks Schwarzenegger’s return to the big screen after several duds including “Escape Plan” (2013) and “Sabotage” (2014). Though the former California governor hasn’t anchored a box-office hit in several years, he has maintained a large global fan base. Thousands lined up outside the Dolby Theatre on Sunday at the film’s Los Angeles premiere to catch a glimpse of the star.

The box-office fireworks are expected to continue over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, as the two new films compete with tentpole holdovers “Jurassic World” and “Inside Out.”

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