After an unsuccessful reboot to their fantasy comedy franchise, Sony pivoted to produce Ghostbusters: Afterlife [GHST4], a direct sequel to the two original Ghostbusters films. The PG-13 rated sequel stars Finn Wolfhard as a teenager who discovers ghostbusting gears belonging to his late grandfather Dr. Egon Spengler just as paranormal activity overruns his Oklahoman town. Jason Reitman took over as director from his father Ivan, and brought back the original stars. Ghostbusters: Afterlife will appeal to older fans nostalgic for the 1980s classics, while attracting young moviegoers familiar with Netflix’s "Stranger Things". Despite mixed reception, 2016’s Ghostbusters still debuted at $46 million. Ghostbusters: Afterlife should be able to zap $45 million from 4315 locations.
Eternals [ETRNL] will be dethroned to second place with about $13 million in its third weekend.
The family-friendly Clifford the Big Red Dog [CTBRD] should be able hold better than 60% in its sophomore frame at $10 million.
Will Smith toplines King Richard [KRICH] playing the father of tennis champion Venus and Serena Williams. The PG-13 rated biopic is a leading Oscar contender and crowd-pleaser, if crowds show up. The Warner Bros. release is also available day-n-date on HBO Max, which will dent the box office. King Richard could serve up $9 million from 3300 locations.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): GHST4, ETRNL, CTBRD, KRICH