Sequels underwhelmed at the box office this weekend, with both "Men in Black: International" and the third "Shaft" film falling short of projections. Not to mention "Dark Phoenix" taking a sharp nosedive from last week.

"MIB: International" was the No. 1 film with $28.5 million, but that's about half of what the previous three films in the franchise earned. At least it only cost $100 million to produce, about half of what "MIB 3" cost.

The sequel reteams "Thor: Ragnarok"'s Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, but mostly wastes their considerable chemistry.  The movie has earned a dismal  24% on Rotten Tomatoes and a "B" CinemaScore.

Debuting in fifth place was "Shaft," with a disappointing $8.3 million. By comparison, 2000’s "Shaft," also starring Samuel L. Jackson, took in $21.7 million its first weekend. The latest remake brings together three generations of Shafts played by Jackson, Jessie Usher, and the 1971 original, Richard Roundtree.  Critics gave it a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences were kinder with an "A" CinemaScore.

Meanwhile, in its second weekend, the critically panned X-Men sequel "Dark Phoenix" plunged nearly 73% from last week to land in fourth place. That's not a record-setting drop, but it's hardly a positive note on which to end the nearly 20-year franchise.

Opening in limited release was Jim Jarmusch's laidback zombie comedy "The Dead Don't Die." The film, which stars Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, and Chloë Sevigny, opened at No. 12 with $2.35 million from 613 theaters. While it's gotten mixed reviews, it boasted a decent $3,834 per-screen average.

Last week's box office champ, "The Secret Life of Pets 2," took in $23.8 million to settle for second place.

Here are the top 10 estimates for June 14-16, 2019

1. "Men in Black International, " $28,500,000
2. "The Secret Life of Pets 2," $23,800,000
3. "Aladdin" (2019), $16,712,000
4. "Dark Phoenix," $9,005,000
5. "Rocketman," $8,800,000
6. "Shaft" (2019), $8,315,000
7. "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," $8,105,000
8. "John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum," $6,100,000
9. "Late Night," $5,136,734
10."Ma" (2019), $3,610,000

[Via Variety]