Box Office: 'Deadpool' entombs big-budget bomb 'Gods of Egypt' to stay No. 1

Superhero sensation Deadpool continued to rock the multiplex in its third weekend, grossing $31.5 million from 3,856 theaters and burying Gods of Egypt, the first big-budget bomb of 2016 at the North American box office.

From Lionsgate, Gods of Egypt opened to an estimated $14 million from 3,117 locations after costing a hefty $140 million to produce. The ancient fantasy epic, starring Gerard Butler, is also weak overseas, where it debuted to $24.2 million from 68 markets for a global bow of $38.2 million. (It doesn't land in China until March 11.)

Director Tim Miller's Deadpool is fast approaching the $300 million mark domestically for Fox, star Ryan Reynolds and producer Simon Kinberg. The R-rated movie finished Sunday with a North American total of $285.6 million and global tally well north of $550 million.

Gods of Egypt, with aspirations of launching a new franchise, is a major disappointment for Lionsgate and Butler, who had hoped the recreate the success enjoyed by Zack Snyder and Butler's 300. Studio insiders say the studio's exposure on the $140 million budget is limited to $10 million after foreign presales and hefty Australian tax credits, but that doesn't include $35 million to $40 million in marketing costs.

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Directed by Alex Proyas, Gods of Egypt stars Butler as god of darkness Set whose rule has forced the Egyptian empire into chaos and conflict. Brenton Thwaites plays a mortal hero who teams with the god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to save the empire.

Ancient epics are tricky business at the box office, but Hollywood remains obsessed with the proverbial sword-and-sandal genre. In 2014, Lionsgate's The Legend of Hercules fell flat, topping out at under $63 million worldwide after costing $70 million to make. That same year, Paramount's Hercules, starring Dwayne Johnson, fared somewhat better, grossing $244 million, but it sported a hefty production budget of $100 million. And the $100 million Pompeii also was a huge loss in 2014, topping out at $117.8 million globally.

Another complication for Gods of Egypt came last fall when Proyas and Lionsgate apologized after a loud outcry over the film's predominately white cast. (Ridley Scott faced similar criticism over Exodus: Gods and Kings).

The other two newcomers at the box office, the Matthew Vaughn-produced Eddie the Eagle and indie crime-thriller Triple 9, also failed to impress, although they are much smaller films. (Neither lack star power, however.)

Eddie the Eagle opened to $6.3 million from 2,042 theaters to come in No. 5. The British sports biopic stars Kingsman: The Secret Service star Taron Egerton as real-life British ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, while Hugh Jackman plays his coach.

Vaughn, director and producer of the Kingsman franchise, and his close circle made Eddie the Eagle and brought the $23 million film to Fox, which had good reason to keep Vaughn happy and handle the movie's release and marketing.

From director John Hillcoat, Triple 9 opened to an estimated $5.8 million-plus to come in No. 6 for Open Road Films.

Triple 9 centers on crooked cops and criminals who plan a major heist, in the U.S. The cast includes Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Teresa Palmer and Gal Gadot.

More to come.

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