Paramount Animation’s latest attempt to revive the Smurfs franchise is faltering at the North American box office and with critics. The fully animated reboot, which opened nationwide on 18 July, generated an estimated $4 million on Friday from 3,504 locations and is on course for a weekend debut of less than $12 million—well below expectations for the $58 million production and only enough for a projected fourth-place finish behind returning leader “Superman”. Early audience reaction has been lukewarm: the picture received a B+ CinemaScore, while its Rotten Tomatoes rating hovers near 21 percent, making it one of the poorest-reviewed wide releases of the summer despite a voice cast led by Rihanna, James Corden and John Goodman. Trade trackers note that the opening is significantly weaker than the franchise’s 2011 live-action hybrid, which bowed to $35 million, underscoring mounting challenges for legacy intellectual property aimed at family audiences. The sluggish launch comes after a high-profile marketing push centred on Rihanna, who also produced new music for the film. With international results still to come, industry analysts say the title will need strong overseas play and ancillary sales to approach break-even, as competition from holdovers and upcoming animated releases tightens through August.