Just as the summer temperature heats up across the country, the movie season is beginning to cool down in August. Warner Bros. hopes moviegoers will dive back in to see Jason Statham [JSTAT] take on a giant prehistoric shark in The Meg [MEG]. Giant monster movies and shark flicks are popular again, and the PG-13 rated thriller combines the two with the biggest shark ever. The Shallows debuted at $16.8 million two years ago, and even 47 Meters Down opened to $11.2 million last year. With a bigger budget and higher victim count, The Meg should entice shark fans to bite. Circling 4118 theaters, The Meg could chew up $26 million.
With excellent word of mouth, Mission: Impossible – Fallout [MISS6] looks to run away with another $20 million.
Christopher Robin [WINPO] may have appeared too serious for families with small children. The live-action Winnie-the-Pooh movie should still be able to hold 55% of its opening for $13.5 million.
Spike Lee [SLEE] is back with the provocative and timely BlacKkKlansman [BLKKM] based on the true story of a black FBI agent who infiltrated the KKK. The R-rated drama premiered at Cannes to great acclaim. The buzz has only grown exponentially since, with Focus more than doubling its original theater count to 1512 theaters. BlacKkKlansman could uncover $12 million.
Slender Man [SLNDR] arrives under the radar with little marketing as Sony seeks to avoid negative publicity regarding a real-life murder linked to the internet meme. The notoriety may appeal to teenage girls who are the primary audience for the PG-13 rated horror. Slender Man could snatch $10 million from 2358 locations.
LD targets dog-lovers with the PG-rated Dog Days [DOGDS]. In a last-minute release date move, the PG-rated film opened on Wednesday and earned $635K. While reviews are decent, the ensemble cast aren’t box office draw. Strolling into 2255 theaters, Dog Days may bark up $6 million over the weekend.
That’s the whisper on the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): JSTAT, MEG, MISS6, WINPO, SLEE, BLKKM, SLNDR, DOGDS