Sony Animation gets into the 3D business with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs [CWCMB]. Based on the popular children’s book, the animated comedy has a high concept story that appeals to kids of all ages. With no competition for the family audience, the PG-rated film should easily finish atop the box office with about $27 million from 3119 locations.
The R-rated horror film Jennifer’s Body [JBODY] will test the starpower of Megan Fox [MEFOX] in her first lead role. Fox marketing has played up the film’s sexuality as well as possible nudity of its star. The actress has been making headlines recently for her verbal jousting with the crew of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen more than for promoting Jennifer’s Body. Scripted by Juno’s Diablo Cody, the film should appeal to young adults of both sexes and gross as much as $15 million from 2701 theaters.
Matt Damon [MDAMO] got fat and a mustache for his role in the R-rated black comedy The Informant! [INFOR]. Director Steven Soderbergh [SSODE] turned a real-life price-fixing scandal into a workplace spy comedy. A year ago, Burn After Reading with a similar storyline and tone opened with a better than expected $19 million. Will the Damon-Soderbergh combination prove more popular than Pitt-Coen? Tapping into 2505 locations, The Informant! could walk away with around $13 million.
Tyler Perry [TPERR] films have all been front-loaded by his eager fanbase. I Can Do Bad All By Myself [ICDBA] won’t be the exception. A drop around 55% would bring its second weekend take to $10 million.
Jennifer Aniston [JANIS] returns to theaters with the romance Love Happens [LVHAP] co-starring Aaron Eckhart [AECKH]. Universal has shifted the PG-13 rated film through title changes and different trailers in an effort to find the right marketing strategy. Apparently, moviegoers want and expect a happy ending for Aniston who has suffered from real-life heartaches. However, opening in 1898 theaters, Love Happens may have to settle for $8 million.
That’s the whisper from the trading floor.
Tag(s): CWCMB, JBODY, MEFOX, MDAMO, INFOR, SSODE, TPERR, ICDBA, JANIS, LVHAP, AECKH