Although DreamWorks Animation estimated a gross that put How to Train Your Dragon back atop the box office last weekend, the film actually ended up in second place behind Kick-Ass [KCKAS]. With lackluster new offerings from the studios this weekend, the animated fantasy gets another chance to regain the top spot in its fifth weekend. A decline around 25% would still bring in $15 million, which should be enough for Dragon to swoop back into first place.
Although The Losers [LOSRS] boasts an attractive cast led by Zoe Saldana [ZSALD], Jeffrey Dean Morgan [JDMOR] and Chris Evans [CEVAN], none of the stars are proven box office draw. Warner Bros. was late in generating buzz for the comic adaptation and light on the marketing for the PG-13 rated actioner. Appealing primarily to young males, The Losers could come through with $12 million from 2936 theaters.
After a five year hiatus, Jennifer Lopez [JLOPE] returns to theaters with the romantic comedy The Back-Up Plan [PLANB]. Even though their first release Extraordinary Measures bombed with a $6 million opening, CBS Films hopefully learned valuable lessons for their second film, also targeted at adult moviegoers. The pregnancy storyline however will limit the appeal to older women. Opening in 3280 theaters, The Back-Up Plan could conceive around $11 million.
The R-rated superhero satire Kick-Ass [KCKAS] turned out not to have wide appeal outside the fanboy crowd. With word of mouth mixed, the ultra-violent Kick-Ass looks to tumble at least 50% in its second outing to about $9 million.
Disneynature debuts the nature documentary Oceans [OCENS] for this year’s Earth Day. Last year, Earth earned $4.4 million on Earth Day on its way to an $8.8 million weekend. Earth was adapted from a popular BBC miniseries. The less heralded Oceans may settle for a $5 million weekend from 1206 locations.
That’s the whisper from the trading floor.
Tag(s): KCKAS, LOSRS, ZSALD, JDMOR, CEVAN, JLOPE, PLANB, OCENS