Just three months after the release of a feature film based on the Show White fairy tale another arrives in Snow White and the Huntsman [SWHTM]. Targeted at families with young children, the comedic Mirror Mirror opened to $18.1 million in March. With fantastic special effects and gritty battle scenes, the PG-13 rated Snow White and the Huntsman has been re-imagined for an older and wider audience. Kirsten Stewart [KSTEW] stars as the fairest of them all and should attract some of her Twilight fans. The casting of Charlize Theron [CTHER] as the evil Queen and Chris Hemsworth [CHEMS] as the Huntsman should appeal to both men and women. Universal has run an effective marketing campaign since the surprisingly good first trailer. With this summer’s blockbusters since The Avengers underperforming, Snow White and the Huntsman is well-positioned to fill that void of a fresh breakout movie. Opening in 3772 theaters, Snow White and the Huntsman could bite into $45 million.
Though Men in Black 3 [MIB3] returned Will Smith to the top of the box office, the sequel is likely to have been front-loaded over the holiday weekend. A drop of more than 50% would put Men in Black 3 at around $27 million.
The Avengers is hardly slowing down in its fifth weekend. The Marvel superheroes could still earn $20 million and remain in the top three.
Sinking fast from audience indifference, Battleship [BTSHP] may down $6 million in its third weekend.
ARC Entertainment is opening For Greater Glory [CRIST] wide in 757 theaters. With a star-studded cast led by Andy Garcia [AGARC], the Mexican epic about the Cristeros War hopes to attract Hispanic moviegoers. The R-rated For Greater Glory could bring in $2 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): SWHTM, KSTEW, CTHER, CHEMS, MIB3, BTSHP, CRIST, AGARC