‘Ben-Hur’ losing box office chariot race to ‘Suicide Squad’

The new big-budget reimagining of Lew Wallace’s 19th century novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ” isn’t exactly enchanting moviegoers.

The Oscar-winning 1959 film starring Charlton Heston may be regarded as a cinema classic, but the Paramount and MGM “Ben-Hur” update released this weekend pulled in about $4 million in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, according to estimates. It’s on target to bring in only $11 million for the weekend.

It’s a dismal opening for a film with a budget of about $100 million, and it adds to a string of tentpole releases set in ancient times that have tanked at the U.S. box office, including “Gods of Egypt,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings” and “The Legend of Hercules.”

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The new “Ben Hur” was directed by Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”) with Jack Huston in the titular role. Critics pretty much hated it, but the epic earned an A-minus grade from audiences, according to polling firm CinemaScore.

The lackluster opening is making way for Warner Bros.’ “Suicide Squad” to enjoy a third week at No. 1.

The dark supervillain flick grossed $6 million Friday and is projecting $20 million in ticket sales through Sunday, pushing its domestic total to more than $261 million.

Sony’s raunchy animated comedy “Sausage Party” is headed toward a healthy second weekend at the box office, logging $5 million Friday and a $15-million weekend gross.

The R-rated comedy starring the voices of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig and Salma Hayek as grocery store items that discover their fate after humans purchase them pulled in a surprising $33.6 million last weekend, well above projections of $20 million.

Todd Phillips’ new war dramedy, “War Dogs,” starring Miles Teller and Jonah Hill and based loosely on a true story, collected $5.5 million on Friday and was on track for an estimated $14-million debut.

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