HOLLYWOOD—It was a sequel that fans of the original had waited nearly 35 years for. However, it was apparent that moviegoers were not that interested in seeing “Blade Runner 2049,” even though it took the top spot in theaters. The highly anticipated sequel earned $31.5 million during its debut weekend in theaters.

So what led to the lackluster performance? It couldn’t have been that it lacked star power; I mean you have Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling and Jared Leto, not to mention the flick being heralded as a visual masterpiece. However, I think that run time, clocking in a little over 160 minutes caused a few patrons to shy away. For a flick that cost over $150 million to produce, “Blade Runner 2049” will have to do massive business overseas to recoup those budget costs, which are NOT likely on the domestic front in the coming weeks.

Surprisingly, the drama “The Mountain Between Us” starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba landed in second place with just over $10 million. Didn’t expect this flick to have much traction, but I forget the fall is the time of year that more mature and dramatic films invade theaters accompanying the taste of those looking for movies with a  bit more substance beyond just entertaining.

Last week’s box-office champ, “It” dropped to third place with $9.7 million, crossing the $300 million mark at the domestic box-office. The animated flick “My Little Pony” landed in fourth place with $8.8 million. I expected this film to have a larger debut considering the caliber of star power utilizing their voices for the film including Zoe Saldana, Uzo Aduba, Taye Diggs, Emily Blunt and Liev Schreiber. Rounding out the top five was the action-sequel, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” with just over $8 million.

This weekend kicks off all things spooky, as the horror comedy “Happy Death Day” hits theaters on Friday, October 13, as well as the return of Jackie Chan in “The Foreigner.”