Young women could flex their box office clout once again this weekend with release of the sob story If I Stay [ISTAY]. Based on a best-selling novel by Gayle Forman, the PG-13 rated drama stars Chloe Grace Moretz [CMORE] as a teen caught in limbo between life and death after a car accident. The tearjerker has drawn comparisons to The Fault in Our Stars, which Warner Bros. would gladly accept. If I Stay is leading advance tickets sales by a wide margin and should easily take first place. Showing in 2907 theaters, If I Stay may wake up with $20 million.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For [SINC2] finally arrives nearly a decade after Sin City burst onto the screen with its mostly black-n-white look and stylized CG backgrounds that replicated its graphic novel origin. Although director Robert Rodriguez [RRODR] reunited with most of the original cast, the widely imitated concept is no longer fresh in the minds of moviegoers. One of those was another series adapted from the works of Frank Miller, 300. Earlier this year, 300: Rise of an Empire’s debut was 36% down from 300’s 7 years ago. Like 300: Rise of the Empire, Weinstein Co.’s biggest selling point on the R-rated sequel appears to be Eva Green [EGREE] in the nude. Sin City opened to $29.1 million in April of 2005. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For may score $18 million from 2894 theaters.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [TMNT1] in its third weekend and Guardians of the Galaxy [GOTGX] in its fourth weekend should both end up around $15 million.
Sony targets Christian faithfuls with the sports drama When the Game Stands Tall [WTGST] starring Jim Caviezel [JCAVI] of The Passion of the Christ. The PG-rated film is based on the true story of a high school football team in Concord, California. Playing in 2673 theaters, When the Game Stands Tall could bring in $12 million.
Having opened on a Wednesday, Let’s Be Cops [LBCOP] should hold best among the sophomore returnees and bag another $9 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): ISTAY, CMORE, SINC2, RRODR, EGREE, TMNT1, GOTGX, WTGST, JCAVI, LBCOP