Tom Cruise Big in China

In fact, Variety reports that The Mummy, which brought in $18.7 million at the box office in China on Friday, is “the biggest first day for a Cruise movie in China.” Congrats to Cruise. That’s big. However:

With a $125 million budget, “The Mummy” will need to perform strongly overseas to see a profit. It’s launching in 63 international markets this weekend and already saw a record opening in Korea on Monday.

“The Mummy” is expected to take in $35 million to $40 million at 4,034 North America locations in its opening weekend.

Although this intended blockbuster looks like a dud for Cruise, bad reviews never stopped bored consumers from seeing a trash film or two. Forbes likewise calls The Mummy “a questionable prospect in North America” but notes that “it’s doing relatively well overseas thus far,” with weekend box office numbers in China potentially hitting up to $55 million.