Disappointment continues to reign over Warner Bros.’s and Alcon Entertainment’s Transcendence.  With the hype now proven overblown (see our review), the $100 million sci-fi flick about the convergence of technology and human consciousness will most likely end up a flop at the domestic box office. 

Opening with only $4.8 million on Friday, the directorial debut from Wally Pfister (Oscar-winning cinematographer of Inception, The Dark Knight trilogy) could not match the power of sequels: Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Rio 2, which are continuing their theatrical runs, each earned nearly double the amount earned by Transcendence.

Johnny Depp’s box office power has had a few stumbles in recent times: last year’s The Lone Ranger, made for around $215 million, flopped heavily with only $89 million in domestic box office returns.  The Rum Diary (2011) and Dark Shadows (2012) only earned $13 million and $80 million, respectively, which were both much lower than their budgets.

However, both The Lone Ranger and Dark Shadows gained a significant boost from the international market, where Johnny Depp reportedly has a strong fan base.  Perhaps Transcendence, too, will be able to make up some of its losses overseas.  And given the slate of some of Depp’s upcoming projects like Through the Looking Glass (sequel to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Depp’s box office slump may eventually recover.

For now, hopefully Transcendence will be the last disappointment from our list of anticipated films this year.