Four new wide releases targeting different demographics debut this weekend to take on the lone opener Resident Evil: Afterlife [RESE4] from last weekend. The PG-13 rated comedy Easy A [EASYA] appears to have the best buzz and a target audience that patronize movies during its opening weekend. Rising star Emma Stone [ESTON] plays a student who embraces her gossiped label as a high school slut in a modern take on 'The Scarlet Letter'. Sony has played up its similarity to another smart high school comedy Mean Girls, which opened to $24.4 million. Opening in 2856 theaters, Easy A could break out and approach that number, but is more likely to score around $20 million and still finish in first place.
Ben Affleck [BAFFL] directs and stars in The Town [TOWN], a crime drama set in Boston. The R-rated film features a strong supporting cast with Jeremy Renner [JRENN], Jon Hamm [JHAMM] and Blake Lively [BLIVE]. Warner Bros. has played up the Heat-like action to attract moviegoers that are into heist films. Raiding 2861 theaters, The Town has received strong reviews necessary to appeal to discerning adults and could bank $17 million.
A group of people trapped in an elevator realizes the Devil [NCDEV] is among them. The story comes from producer M. Night Shyamalan [MNSHY], whose name now enduces groans and snickers from audiences. Will his association help or actually hurt the PG-13 rated thriller? The concept should prove strong enough to attract horror fans for Universal to go up $15 million from 2810 theaters.
3D price revenues kept Resident Evil: Afterlife from suffering franchise fatigue, but it won’t help extend its shelf life. Previous installments in the zombie series all fell more than 60% in its second weekend. Resident Evil: Afterlife looks to follow suit and tumble to about $10 million.
Lionsgate gets into the 3D animated game with Alpha and Omega [ALPOM] about a pair of wolves trying to find their way home. The PG-rated film hopes to entice families with children, but parents may be hesitant to shell out for another 3D movie. Though with little competition for family fares, Alpha and Omega could pull in roughly $9 million from 2625 theaters.
That’s the whisper from the trading floor.
Tag(s): RESE4, EASYA, ESTON, BAFFL, TOWN, JRENN, JHAMM, BLIVE, NCDEV, MNSHY, ALPOM