Hollywood sends out only one wide release this weekend as the highly-anticipated The Hunger Games is poised to chop off the box office legs of any holdovers next weekend. Based on the TV series from the 1980s, the action comedy 21 Jump Street [21JST] looks to benefit from the lack of competition. Jonah Hill [JHILL] and Channing Tatum [CTATU] star as two youthful cops who go undercover as high school students to investigate a drug ring. Sony has played up the R-rated humor in its marketing and the trailers have been well-received. Reviews from critics have been extremely positive while early screenings have build up strong buzz. Coming off an Oscar nomination for Moneyball, Hill has slimmed down and appears re-energized. Tatum just opened The Vow to $38 million. Both have been tirelessly promoting the film for weeks. Debuting in 3121 theaters, 21 Jump Street could bust out $33 million.
Without any new competitor, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax [LORAX] remains the top choice for families. The animated film may fall around 40% to $23 million.
John Carter [OMARS] attracted predominantly older males and failed to reach a broad audience. Decent word of mouth is unlikely to overcome the prevailing negative buzz. The sci-fi epic looks to drop nearly 50% to $16 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): 21JST, JHILL, CTATU, LORAX, OMARS