As Hollywood prepares for its biggest party of the year, three new movies hope to draw the attention of moviegoers. After holding off movies about the Christian God and devil, the profane superhero Deadpool [DEADP] will now take on Gods of Egypt [GOEGP]. Even with a drop-off of more than 50% though, Deadpool should remain atop the weekend box office with about $28 million.
In the same weekend that the Academy Awards must contend with #OscarSoWhite, Summit drops Gods of Egypt led by Scotsman Gerard Butler [GBUTL] and Dane Nikolaj Coster-Waldau [NCOST]. Although the filmmakers owned up to the “white-washing”, the negative publicity won’t do the PG-13 rated fantasy any favors. The special effects-laden production targets the elusive young males. Descending in 3117 theaters, Gods of Egypt may attract $13 million.
Taron Egerton [TEGER] stars as Eddie the Eagle [EDEGL], the inspirational British ski jumper at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Fox has been screening the PG-13 rated film for months to generate buzz while Hugh Jackman [HJACK] has worked tireless on the promotional circuit. Eddie the Eagle could land $9 million from 2042 locations.
The R-rated crime thriller Triple 9 [TRPL9] features a cast of familiar stars, though none have established any drawing power. Reviews needed to target adults are mixed. Playing in 2205 theaters, Triple 9 may score $8 million for Open Road.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): DEADP, GOEGP, GBUTL, NCOST, TEGER, EDEGL, HJACK, TRPL9