Looks like the third time’s not such a charm for the Expendables franchise. The movie opened to disappointing results at the box office this weekend, pulling in $16.2 million, which is about ten million shy of projected earnings.
But the dismal performance might not necessarily be a sign that audiences have grown tired of the Sylvester Stallone-lead franchise. Industry experts are wondering today whether piracy was to blame. A leaked copy of the film hit the internet three weeks before it hit theatres and was viewed by more than two million people.
The first installment in the Expendables franchise pulled in $34.8 million during its opening weekend in 2010, while second debuted to $28.6 million in 2012.
