Three new films open on this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, while three others expand into wide release. However, only Patriots Day [PATSD] is likely to make noise at the box office. Mark Wahlberg [MWAHL] reteams with director Peter Berg [PEBER] on a movie about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The R-rated thriller has already earned nearly $1 million in 3 weeks of limited release from just 7 theaters. Their previous efforts, Deepwater Horizon debuted at $20.2 million last September while Lone Survivor opened to $37.8 million 3 years ago. Playing in 3120 theaters, Patriots Day should be able to raise $24 million over the 4-day weekend.
After toppling Rogue One last weekend, Hidden Figures [HIDNF] should get a boost from the MLK Jr. holiday weekend. The real-life African-American heroines could crunch out $23 million in another close race for the top spot.
After 3 weeks of so-so business in 4 theaters, Live by Night [LVBNT] expands wide into 2822 theaters. Warner Bros. slotted the R-rated crime drama as an awards contender, but it has failed to capture any momentum. Ben Affleck [BAFFL] should be a draw for some moviegoers as Live by Night looks to capture $11 million over the long weekend.
Paramount finally dusts off Monster Trucks [MNTRC], their $125 million blockbuster wannabe that turned out to be a PG-rated family film. Monster Trucks has already been written off as a loss by the studio, which further indicates to the public that the film is a stinker. Still, Monster Trucks could appeal to families that’ve already seen Rogue One and Sing. Showing in 3119 theaters, Monster Trucks may rally with $10 million.
Jamie Foxx toplines the R-rated thriller Sleepless [SLPLS]. Open Road targets urban, male moviegoers that came out for the Ride Along films on this weekend in years past. However, there’s been little marketing and no reviews from critics in advance. Arriving in just 1803 theaters, Sleepless could count up $9 million.
STX drops The Bye Bye Man [BYBYM] after a few release date changes. The PG-13 rated horror film has little buzz and could settle for $7.5 million from 2200 theaters.
The historical drama Silence [SILEN] expands into 747 theaters after 3 weeks of limited release. The 3-hours long epic will only appeal to the senior fans of Martin Scorsese [MSCOR]. Silence may bring home $3 million.
That’s the whisper on the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): PATSD, MWAHL, PEBER, HIDNF, LVBNT, BAFFL, MNTRC, SLPLS, BYBYM, SILEN, MSCOR