Ten years after the Marvel's superhero team Fantastic Four first appeared on the big screen, the franchise has been rebooted with another Fantastic Four [FANT4]. The 2005 original debuted with $56.1 million, which its 2007 sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer topped with $58.1 million. While semi-successful at the box office, these two films were not beloved by moviegoers. Fox decided to go younger with an all-new cast, and a darker tone akin to director Josh Trank’s first film Chronicle. Unfortunately, the PG-13 rated film has had a troubled production and littered with bad press. Some comic fans also objected to the cast of Michael B. Jordan [MJORD] as Johnny Storm. While Jordan, Miles Teller [MTELL] and Kate Mara [KMAR] are rising stars, none have established box office draw. Tepid reviews from critics have only reinforced those already predisposed to hate the film. There’s also no news of breakout the advance ticket sales front. Arriving in 3995 theaters, Fantastic Four may bank $42 million.
After its solid opening, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation [MISS5] should continue to light the box office with its excellent word of mouth. The sequel could near a 50% drop-off with another $28 million.
Jason Bateman [JBATE] and Joel Edgerton [JEDGE] star in the R-rated thriller The Gift [WERDO], the inaugural release from STX Entertainment. The buzz is not strong due to a muddled marketing campaign, but the favorable reviews could sway some adults to check it out. Opening in 2470 theaters, The Gift could unwrap $8 million.
Sony targets older women with Ricki and the Flash [RICFL] starring Meryl Streep [MSTRE] and her daughter Mamie Gummer [MGUMM]. The PG-13 rated drama appears too light to generate any genuine excitement. Playing in 1603 theaters, Ricki and the Flash could rock out $7 million.
Vacation [VACTN] couldn’t recapture the magic of the original. The sequel looks to tumble more than 50% in its second trip to $6.5 million.
After opening around the world, Shaun the Sheep [SHEEP] finally lands stateside from Lionsgate. The PG-rated film hopes to attract families with young children as well as adult fans of Aardman’s stop-motion animation. Shaun the Sheep grossed $0.85 million on Wednesday and may earn just $4 million over the weekend from 2202 locations.
After 3 weeks of limited release, Irrational Man [IRATM] expands wide into 925 theaters. Lacking critical acclaim, the latest dramedy from Woody Allen [WALLE] may tally just $2 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): FANT4, MJORD, MTELL, MISS5, JBATE, JEDGE, WERDO, RICFL, MSTRE, MGUMM, VACTN, SHEEP, IRATM, WALLE