Los Angeles, Nov. 4 -- It might be judgment day for the Terminator franchise.

Despite generally favorable reviews and the return of star Linda Hamilton and producer James Cameron, "Terminator: Dark Fate" has opened well below expectations at the box office. Studios on Sunday estimate that "Dark Fate" earned only $29 million from over 4,000 North American locations. The film from Paramount Pictures cost a reported $185 million to produce.

It was enough to win the top spot at the box office, but it's a weak victory for the franchise. Although "Dark Fate," which was directed by "Deadpool's" Tim Miller, received much better reviews (currently at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes) and was praised for being a return to form to Cameron's original films, ...