LOS ANGELES: Angelina Jolie’s survival action thriller “Those Who Wish Me Dead” didn’t do much to revive the North American box office.

The Warner Bros. film, which debuted simultaneously on the streaming service HBO Max, took in a paltry $2.8 million in its opening weekend.

The movie’s hybrid release on HBO Max likely isn’t the reason “Those Who Wish Me Dead” sold hardly any tickets; “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Mortal Kombat” were both recent Warner Bros. films that were able to generate decent box office revenues despite being released concurrently on a streaming service.

As movie theaters attempt to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, family films and CGI spectacles have been popular options to see on the big screen. Gritty dramas geared towards adult audiences haven’t been performing as well, and mediocre reviews for “Those Who Wish Me Dead” didn’t help drum up interest.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2021