Universal gets a jump start on the Easter holiday four weeks away with the family comedy Hop [IHOP] about the Easter Bunny heir who would rather be a drummer. The PG-rated film mixes live-action and animation much like director Tim Hill’s previous effort Alvin and the Chipmunks. The marketing has emphasized that the animation is from the producers of the smash hit Despicable Me. The cute characters should appeal to children and parents alike. Jumping into 3577 theaters, Hop could collect $26 million for first place.
The sci-fi thriller Source Code [SCODE] stars Jake Gyllenhaal [JGYLL] as a soldier who has to relive the eight minutes leading up to a train explosion over and over again in order to track down the identity of the bomber. While the PG-13 rated film targets men, Summit hopes the romantic angle with Michelle Monaghan [MMONA] will appeal to women. Critics' reviews have been excellent which should reassure adult moviegoers. Source Code could download $17 million from 2961 locations.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules [WIMP2] opened a tad higher than the first film, which dropped 54% in its second weekend. The sequel probably could hold a little better in its sophomore session with a 50% decay to $12 million.
The horror film Insidious [NSIDI] is the first release from new distributor FilmDistrict, so its marketing prowess is unknown. PG-13 rated horror films typically appeal to female teens, a demo which has been lacking in film choices, horror and otherwise. Debuting in 2408 theaters, Insidious could gross anout $9 million.
The vivid fantasy Sucker Punch [SUCKP] failed to draw an audience outside the genre fanboys. The film was already front-loaded within its first weekend so expect a tumble around 58% in its second weekend to bring in $8 million.
That’s the whisper from the trading floor.
Tag(s): IHOP, SCODE, JGYLL, MMONA, WIMP2, NSIDI, SUCKP