This image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael in a scene from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows." The movie opened to $35.3 million according to comScore estimates Sunday, June 5, 2016, close to half of what the first film opened... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael in a scene from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows." The movie opened to $35.3... (Associated Press) ||||| Skip Ad Ad Loading... x Embed x Share The Turtles are back in this action-packed adventure. VPC 
 
 Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello take to the skies in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.' (Photo: Lula Carvalho) 
 
 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows won the weekend box office with $35.3 million, according to studio estimates. But it was a shell of its former self. 
 
 The sequel fell fall short of 2014's first Ninja Turtles reboot with producer Michael Bay, which opened with $65 million on its way to $493 million at the worldwide box office. 
 
 "In 2014, people were running out to see Ninja Turtles out of nostalgia for the past movies and the TV show," says Jeff Bock, box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. "But the fans are clearly not as enthusiastic about one movie every two years. This is a lesson for Hollywood, which is suffering with sequels this summer." 
 
 In TMNT2, the sewer-dwelling crime fighters did improve in terms of audience reaction. Moviegoers gave the 2014 version a B grade on CinemaScore, while the 2016 sequel received an A-. But critics still loathed Out of the Shadows, branding it with a lowly 37% approval rating on review aggregate site RottenTomatoes. 
 
 Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin in 'Me Before You.' (Photo: Alex Bailey, Warner Bros.) 
 
 The latest installment of the X-Men franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse, earned $22.3 million in its second weekend, bringing it to $116.5 million total. 
 
 Romantic drama Me Before You, starring Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke and The Hunger Games' Sam Claflin, had a strong third-place debut with $18.3 million. The modestly budgeted love story based on Jojo Moyes' best-selling novel was strong counterprogramming to the big summer releases. 
 
 "Me Before You was a true bright spot in this weekend's box-office derby that clearly struck a chord with audiences looking for something completely different from the typical summer fare," says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. "This paid off big." 
 
 Me Before You faltered with critics, receiving a 55% positive rating on RottenTomatoes, but scored an A with devoted audiences on CinemaScore. 
 
 Alice Through the Looking Glass took fourth with $10.7 million ($50.8 million total) in its second weekend. The sequel to 2010's Alice in Wonderland has disappointed domestically since opening Memorial Day weekend. 
 
 The animated Angry Birds Movie rounded out the top five with $9.8 million. The PG-rated screen adaptation of the popular game app has earned $86.7 million in three weeks. 
 
 'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping' is headlined by musical digital-shorts superstars Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, collectively known as the Lonely Island. (Photo: Glen Wilson, Universal Pictures) 
 
 Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping landed out of the top five in its opening weekend, ranking No. 8 with $4.6 million for the pop music mockumentary from the comedy trio known as the Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer). Even positive reviews and knocks at a Justin Bieber-esque star (played by Samberg) couldn't bring in the audience. 
 
 "It's a low opening gross, but I haven't written it off," Dergarabedian says. "This movie could turn into a cult classic eventually on the small screen." 
 
 Popstar scored a 78% critical rating on RottenTomatoes and a B with CinemaScore audiences. 
 
 Final numbers are expected Monday. 
 
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– The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise appears to be debuting in half-lives, with Out of the Shadows scoring a $35.3 million win at this weekend's box office that was a sharp drop from the first reboot's $65 million. "In 2014, people were running out to see Ninja Turtles out of nostalgia for the past movies and TV show," an analyst tells USA Today. "But the fans are clearly not as enthusiastic about one every two years. This is a lesson for Hollywood, which is suffering with sequels this summer." Speaking of sequels, X-Men: Apocalypse took a mighty tumble to No. 2 with $22.3 million, reports the AP, while Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke pulled off a surprisingly strong third-place finish with $18.3 million in the romance Me Before You. Also of note: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping took eighth place with $4.6 million.