Two new wide releases will battle for box office supremacy before Superman takes over next weekend. The R-rated The Purge [PURGE] is set in a dystopic future where crime can be committed without consequences only on one day of the year. The high-concept home invasion thriller stars Ethan Hawke [EHAWK] and Lena Headey [LHEAD] as parents trying to protect their children from masked killers. Universal has generated strong interest from moviegoers with a viral strategy in its marketing campaign reminiscent of District 9. While reviews are mixed, they won’t matter to the target audience of young adults. Playing in 2536 theaters, The Purge may take away $20 million.
Now You See Me [NYSME] is the surprise hit of the summer thus far. The heist thriller even finished first for Wednesday’s box office. With excellent word of mouth, Now You See Me could retain better than 55% to around $17 million and a chance to hold the second spot.
Wedding Crashers Vince Vaughn [CCAUG] and Owen Wilson [OWILS] finally reunite for the PG-13 rated comedy The Internship [NTERN]. Perhaps they should have done it sooner rather than after mediocre efforts like The Dilemma and Hall Pass. The two play unemployed luddites trying to land tech jobs at Google. Despite good reviews, the film has attracted little buzz. Moviegoers are apparently uninterested in a film with such a blatant product placement. Googling 3365 theaters, The Internship may result in $17 million.
After two weekend laps in first place, Fast & Furious 6 [FAST6] looks to pass the $200 million marker the third time around with about $16 million.
After a disastrous debut, After Earth [1THAE] will fade quickly due to the stink of a terrible bomb. After Earth could tumble close to 60% to $12 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): PURGE, EHAWK, LHEAD, NYSME, OWILS, NTERN, FAST6, 1THAE