One of Hollywood’s most bankable star teams up with his son on the sci-fi film After Earth [1THAE], but they may not be able to out-flex the muscles and cars, not to mention muscle cars, of Fast & Furious 6 [FAST6]. It’s hard to believe the sixth film scored the highest opening weekend ever for Universal, while the franchise has become their biggest grossing ever. The sequel is likely to be as front-loaded as the previous installment Fast Five, which lost 62% in its sophomore outing. Fast & Furious 6 looks to downshift 60% to $38 million, which should be enough to stay ahead of the competition in first place.
The post-apocalyptic After Earth stars Will Smith [WSMIT] and his son Jaden [JSMIT] as survivors of a spaceship that crash landed on the planet long abandoned by mankind. The father gets sidelined by an injury, so the PG-13 rated film is clearly a vehicle for the youngster as he explores the world alone. Most moviegoers are smart enough to see through the film's set-up from the marketing, which has also omitted the fact that the film is directed by box office poison M. Night Shyamalan [MNSHY]. Sony knowingly withheld the film from critics, whom have now given the film poor reviews. Landing in 3401 theaters, After Earth could uncover $36 million.
The other new wide release this weekend is Summit’s heist thriller Now You See Me [NYSME]. Jesse Eisenberg [JEISE] and Woody Harrelson [WHARR] reunite to lead a crew of magicians that rob banks with illusions. Although the magician comedy Burt Wonderstone bombed earlier this year with only a $10 million opening, Now You See Me has more going for it as a high-concept thriller similar to the Ocean films, albeit with a smaller star wattage. The PG-13 rated film’s trailers have enticed audiences to find out how they pull off their heists. Favorable reviews should also attract the adult crowd looking for something more than mindless action films. Opening in 2925 theaters, Now You See Me could appear with $23 million.
Epic [EPIC] remains the only animated film for families and should be able to score $21 million in its second weekend.
The Hangover Part III [HNOV3] lost half of its fanbase and was still disliked by those who saw it. The Hangover part II tumbled nearly 64% in its second weekend. A similar drop would put The Hangover Part III at $14.5 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): 1THAE, FAST6, WSMIT, JSMIT, MNSHY, NYSME, JEISE, WHARR, EPIC, HNOV3