After reigning for four straight weeks, The Hunger Games is due to relinquish its position atop the box office standings. Two new wide releases based on best-selling books both have a shot at taking the top spot from the sci-fi phenomenon. Zac Efron [ZEFRO] stars in the latest Nicholas Sparks novel adaptation The Lucky One [LUCON]. The PG-13 rated romance is targeted at both of their female fanbase. Efron’s last effort Charlie St. Cloud opened to $12.4 million in 2010, a year that also saw the release of the last two Sparks movies. Dear John banked $30.5 million while The Last Song earned $16.0 million in their debut. Efron should perform better than Miley Cyrus, but unlikely to approach the combination of Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. Opening in 3155 theaters, The Lucky One could score $20 million in a tight race for first place.
Sony counters Warner Bros.’ heartland romance with the urban romantic comedy Think Like a Man [TLKAM] based on a relationship advice book by Steve Harvey. Kevin Hart [KHART] and Meagan Good [MGOOD] lead the ensemble cast assembled to attract African-American adults. The PG-13 rated battle of the sexes has been heavily promoted and could crossover to other demographics, particularly suburban teens. A theater count of 2015 though could limit the breakout potential of Think Like a Man to around $19 million.
The Hunger Games is poised to cross the $350 million mark with a still robust $13 million. The Three Stooges [3STOG] surprised some with a healthy debut. The low-brow comedy could slip 45% to $9.5 million.
For the fourth straight year, Disney is releasing a nature documentary for Earth Day weekend. The G-rated Chimpanzee [CHIMP] follows a baby chimp looking for a new family. Last year’s edition African Cats opened at $6 million. Chimpanzee should its footsteps with $6 million from 1563 locations.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): ZEFRO, LUCON, TLKAM, KHART, MGOOD, 3STOG, CHIMP