The dog days of summer bring out the dog films of Hollywood. Straight Outta Compton [SOCMP] will likely stay on top for a third weekend with $14 million.
Zac Efron [ZEFRO] stars as an aspiring DJ in We Are Your Friends [WAYFR], a rising-to-the-top story set in the world of Electronic Dance Music. While EDM is the hot music genre right now, the R-rating will keep out younger fans of Efron and EDM. Not counting the comedy Neighbors which was more of a Seth Rogen film, Efron’s last lead in That Awkward Moment, another R-rated drama, debuted with $8.7 million. Dropping in 2233 locations, We Are Your Friends could roll in $10 million.
Owen Wilson [OWILS] and Pierce Brosnan [PBROS] star in the R-rated thriller No Escape [TCOUP] about a white family caught in a Southeast Asian country during a coup. The Weinstein Co. has put considerable marketing muscle behind the late August release some critics see as racist. No Escape got an early start on the weekend earning $1.2 million on Wednesday. That’s better than November Man, which gross $0.9 million on Wednesday on its way to a $7.9 million weekend exactly a year ago. No Escape should be able to clear $9 million from Friday to Sunday in 3355 theaters.
Sony targets Christian moviegoers with the faith-based drama War Room [WARRM] from director Alex Kendrick. His Fireproof opened to $6.8 million in 2008, while Courageous debuted with $9.1 million in 2011. War Room seems likely to fall somewhere in the middle with $7 million from 1135 theaters.
Sony Pictures Classics expands The Diary of a Teenage Girl [TDOTG] wide into 795 theaters. The Sundance sensation has earned excellent reviews during 3 weeks of limited release. The Diary of a Teenage Girl could tally $2 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): SOCMP, ZEFRO, WAYFR, OWILS, PBROS, TCOUP, WARRM, TDOTG