Disney looks set to rule the roost once again this weekend on a battlefield of sci-fi and fantasy releases that sees current global box office champion Maleficent 2 go up against Terminator: Dark Fate.

Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil booted Joker off the throne last weekend when it launched on $154.1m worldwide and $118.1m internationally. The fantasy sequel starring Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer has climbed to $157.5m and could cross $200m by the end of its second session.

Meanwhile Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International unleashes sci-fi thriller Terminator: Dark Fate one week before North America in the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore this weekend.

That bucket of territories may not be enough to usurp Maleficent 2, although the latest entry in the 35-year-old franchise boasts a recognisable brand and an appealing cast that sees Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton star alongside Mackenzie Davis and Edward Furlong.

James Cameron returns as producer and the global targets are 2009’s Terminator Salvation on $371m and 2015’s Terminator Genisys on $441m. The latter launched in the UK on $5.9m in summer 2015 on the way to a $16.9m final tally. France and Germany produced debuts of $4.5m and $2.8m en route to $11.6m and $9m, respectively.

Joker stands at $521.9m through Warner Bros Pictures International and $778.2m worldwide and could surge past the $800m milestone in the coming days. It: Chapter Two has reached $241.5m.

Universal Pictures International releases The Addams Family in animation-friendly markets the UK, Spain, Mexico, and German-speaking Europe. Downton Abbey arrives in Italy and has grossed $75.7m internationally and $165m worldwide.

Paramount Pictures International launches the Will Smith sci-fi thriller Gemini Man in Japan, Taiwan, and Poland. The film has grossed a disappointing $64.6m so far. Dora And The Lost City Of Gold has reached $54.7m, and Crawl has grossed $51.4m.

Sony Pictures Releasing International executives said Zombieland: Double Tap stands at an early $7.7m and opens this weekend in Mexico, Brazil, and Russia. The original launched on $1.6m in Russia in 2009 en route to $3.9m, and fared moderately well in Mexico, finishing on $1.3m. The Angry Birds Movie 2 has amassed $99.1m.