Two surprise hits from the summer of 2013 get sequels this weekend along with a fantasy hoping to be the beginning of a new franchise. The master of horror James Wan [JWAN] returns with The Conjuring 2 [CNJU2]. The original film broke out with $41.9 million in July 2013 and legged out $137.4 million. Patrick Wilson [PWILS] and Vera Farmiga [VFARM] reprise their roles as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who now travel to England to take on the Enfield Poltergeist. The R-rated sequel has garnered strong reviews that note genuine scares. However, the spin-off Annabelle may have soaked up some of the anticipation with its $37.1 million debut in October 2014. Showing in 3343 theaters, The Conjuring 2 looks to lead the weekend with $38 million.
Former boy wizard Daniel Radcliffe [DRADC] joins the modern magician caper Now You See Me 2 [NYSM2]. The first film opened with $29.4 million in May 2013 and finished with an impressive $117.7 million. Now You See Me clearly had positive word of mouth, but the story didn’t necessitate a sequel. Will goodwill carry over to the PG-13 rated sequel or did Summit wait too long? Now You See Me 2 may uncover $25 million from 3232 locations.
Although by far the most expensive of the three new films, Warcraft [WARCF] may end up with the lowest opening. The PG-13 rated fantasy epic lacks any stars, while Universal’s marketing has failed to distinguish the film from a clone of Lord of the Rings. Poor reviews have further fueled negative buzz. Only fans familiar with the popular videogame series are likely to be interested. Invading 3396 theaters, Warcraft could farm out $24 million.
Although abandoned by their older fans, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows [TMNT2] played well with families and teenagers. With Warcraft skewed older, the Turtles could drop about 55% to $15 million.
As the only romance targeted at women, Me Before You [MBFYU] should be able to hold around 60% of its debut for another $11 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): JWAN, CNJU2, PWILS, VFARM, DRADC, NYSM2, WARCF, TMNT2, MBFYU