Marvel returns to conquer the box office with its superhero sequel Thor: The Dark World [THOR2]. The first Thor opened at $65.7 million in May 2011. Chris Hemsworth [CHEMS] and Tom Hiddleston [THIDD] then took their Norse mythological sibling rivalry to 2012’s The Avengers, which as everyone knows is now the all-time opening weekend champion. The Avengers gave the Iron Man franchise a 36% boost from Iron Man 2’s $128.1 million to Iron Man 3’s $174.1 million. A similar uptick would put the Thor sequel debut at $90 million. The PG-13 rated Disney film opened overseas last week and the buzz has been mostly positive. Comic fanboys are already sold on the fantasy epic, while the film is also tracking well with women. Opening in 3841 theaters, Thor: The Dark World looks to hammer out at least $92 million and set a new high for November.
The sci-fi adaptation Ender’s Game [EGAME] did not broaden its audience beyond older fans of the book. With Thor crowding out the better screens, Ender’s Game will tumble more than 50% to $13 million.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa [JCKA4] held better than anyone expected. Against better competition, the comedy will likely decline to $11 million in its third outing, putting it in a three-way race with sophomore pics Last Vegas [LASTV] and Free Birds [TURKY].
Fox Searchlight expands the historical drama 12 Years A Slave [12SLV] wide into 1144 theaters after 3 weeks of limited release. The R-rated film has earned rave reviews and serious buzz as one of this year's leading Oscar contenders. That should entice older adults despite the difficult subject matter. The film averaged $11,688 per theater last weekend in 410 theaters. An average of $9,000 per theater this weekend would put 12 Years A Slave around $10 million.
About Time [ABTIM] also expands wide this weekend to 1200 theaters. Unfortunately, the R-rated romantic comedy failed to connect with audiences in its limited opening last weekend. About Time may tally $4 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): THOR2, CHEMS, THIDD, EGAME, JCKA4, LASTV, TURKY, 12SLV, ABTIM