Despite three blockbuster Spider-Man movies since 2002, Sony decided to reboot the franchise with the fourth entry The Amazing Spider-Man [SPID4]. Andrew Garfield [AGARF] takes over the role of Peter Parker, while Emma Stone [ESTON] plays his high school sweetheart Gwen Stacy. Many have questioned the wisdom of another origin story so soon and wondered if moviegoers will turn out for what’s marketed as “the untold story”. Well, the mid-week turnout has allayed those fears. Opening on Tuesday ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, The Amazing Spider-Man has already banked $58.3 million in two days. Although Spider-Man 3 was the worst of the trilogy, the superhero remains popular with fans of all ages. The Amazing Spider-Man is the first installment to be in 3D, which will add a significant bump to the bottom line. Swinging into 4318 theaters, The Amazing Spider-Man could spin about $67 million from Friday to Sunday.
Ted [TED] scored the highest R-rated opening ever for a non-sequel comedy. Great word of mouth should help broaden the audience to other demographics besides young males. Ted may decline 45% and finish second at around $30 million.
Magic Mike [MGCMK] brought out the ladies on opening night but has quickly tailed off. The exotic dancing revue could be stripped down 60% to $17 million.
The R-rated actioner Savages [SAVAG] stars Taylor Kitsch [TKITS] and Aaron Johnson [AJOHN] as marijuana entrepreneurs who fight back against a Mexican drug cartel that kidnapped their girlfriend, played by Blake Lively [BLIVE]. The young leading stars have yet to establish box office draw from young moviegoers. Despite heavy promotion from Universal, the film’s appeal looks to be limited to older guys familiar with the supporting cast and director Oliver Stone [OSTON]. Savages may earn $13 million from 2627 locations.
Katy Perry [KPERR] is the latest popstar to get a 3D concert movie. Paramount launched Justin Bieber: Never Say Never to a $29.5 million debut last year, and hopes Katy Perry: Part of Me [KP3D] gets the same love from young girls. However, her older fanbase does not appear as rabid. Katy Perry: Part of Me opens a day early in 2730 theaters to get a jump on the weekend and could take in $10 million from Friday to Sunday.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): SPID4, AGARF, ESTON, TED, MGCMK, SAVAG, TKITS, AJOHN, BLIVE, OSTON, KPERR, KP3D