'Guardians of the Galaxy', 'Get On Up' to Revive Slumping Box Office: Weekend Movie Preview
"Guardians of the Galaxy" is set to win the box office, and "Get On Up" will revive the drama film.
The new Marvel film is set to make $75 million on its opening weekend. That would be a higher opening than the first "Thor" and "Captain America" movies.
Over the past weeks, a lot of attention has been surrounding the movie as the film scored rave reviews, and it was also announced that a sequel would be released in 2017. The movie marks the beginning of a new franchise that many fan boys don't recognize, and, as a result, there is a lot of interest looming. The movie will not revive the woeful summer box office, but it definitely has the makings of becoming one of the surprises of the summer. Marvel will release the film in 4,080 theaters.
"Get On Up" is expected to be the second place film and make $19 million. The movie features an all-star cast that includes Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, and it is directed by "The Help" helmer Tate Taylor.
The film is getting exceptional reviews and there is a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding the film. The movie also comes out in the same time that "The Help" and "Lee Daniel's The Butler" were released. Both of those films ended being key awards players and also scored big box offices. Opening in 2,468 theaters, the Universal Biopic will likely revive the drama films this slumping summer.
"Lucy" is likely to slip 50-60 percent in its second frame and make an estimated $17.9 million. The film has made $60 million up to this point and will likely end the weekend with $80 million.
Similarly, Dwayne Johnson's "Hercules" will drop massively and will most likely end the weekend with $12 million. The film has underperformed and should be at $54 million by the end of Sunday.
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is expected to hold steady in its fourth weekend. The film has already surpassed "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and should easily add another $8.5 million to its total. That would put it at $189 million and would bring it closer to becoming the first Apes film to make $200 million domestically.
In art house theaters, Fox Searchlight will release the Irish drama "Calvary" starring Brendan Gleeson. The company will bring the movie to four theaters and hopes to have a good opening. The drama scored rave reviews out of Sundance, and it is already generating Oscar buzz for Gleeson.
Meanwhile, Well Go USA will bring the James Franco directorial effort "Child of God" to theaters a year after premiering at the Venice Film Festival and New York Film Festival. The movie has obtained mixed reviews and has no buzz. However, the company is riding on Franco's name.
Roadhouse Attractions will expand "A Most Wanted Man" into 727 theaters. After last weekend's massive opening, the feature is expected to make another $3 million and could bring its total to $6 million. The feature has scored rave reviews, and many pundits are already calling Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance an Oscar contender. If buzz and strong word-of-mouth continue, this film could become one of the Indie surprises of the year.
IFC will rollout "Boyhood" into 204 more theaters for a total of 311. The film has already become the fifth highest grossing film for the company, and it looks to make another $2.8 million. That would bring its total gross to $7.8 million and it would become the third highest grossing IFC Films feature of all time.
After a successful opening weekend, Sony Pictures will bring Woody Allen's "Magic in the Moonlight" to 65 theaters. After having made close to $50,000 in its opening week, the Emma Stone and Colin Firth film is sure to generate a lot more business this weekend.