After nabbing the second best debut ever for an animated film, the beloved Minions [MNION] looks to enjoy a long run in the heart of the summer season. Despicable Me 2 declined 47% in its second weekend. A similar decay would put Minions at $61 million in a close race for first place.
Disney closes out Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Ant-Man [ANTMN] starring Paul Rudd [PRUDD]. The unlikely superhero had a rough development history that included the departure of fan-favorite Edgar Wright, but the finished product is apparently better aligned with the other Avengers. Rather than the usual superhero saving the world, the PG-13 rated Ant-Man is a heist film. The smaller scale has won over some moviegoers, but could also turn off others expecting the next Guardians of the Galaxy, which broke out with $94 million last year. Buzz has been positive among fanboys, but there is no indication that Ant-Man is out-selling any recent superhero films. The first Captain America and Thor both debuted around $65 million. Crawling 3865 theaters, Ant-Man may carry away $60 million.
Universal and director Judd Apatow [JAPAT] aim to launch a new star in Amy Schumer [ASCHU] with the raunchy comedy Trainwreck [TRWRC]. The stand-up comedian has steadily built up a following and just landed an Emmy nomination for her TV series ‘Inside Amy Schumer’. While women are the target audience, marketing has also emphasized LeBron James and Jon Cena to help broaden the appeal to men. Though reviews have been favorable, R-rated comedies have mostly underperformed this summer. Pouring in 3153 theaters, Trainwreck could sober up $22 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): MNION, ANTMN, PRUDD, JAPAT, ASCHU, TRWRC