Weekend Preview and Trailers 2014:'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', Guardians of the Galaxy' Face Off
"Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" are set to face off for first place at the box office.
"Guardians of the Galaxy" has had one of the best midweek holds of the year and is already on track to become the highest grossing film of the year. The movie is likely to add another $40 million to its gross as word-of-mouth and reviews have been great. The Marvel flick has already made $132 million and is likely to end its weekend with a least $170 million.
Meanwhile, the Michael Bay "TMNT" reboot is also expected to make $40 million. This new installment marks the first live action TMNT film since 1993, and the series has a huge fan base. Additionally, Paramount has been promoting it with Bay's name, the "Transformers" director also having a huge following.
The reboot has had a huge marketing campaign, but reviews have been extremely negative. Critics are stating that the film is "neither entertaining enough to recommend nor remarkably awful, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may bear the distinction of being the dullest movie ever made about talking bipedal reptiles." Opening in 3,845, the movie could have a good opening but ultimately fail to revive the series by the end of the run if word-of-mouth is low.
From Warner Bros., "Into the Storm" is likely to open in third place with $14 million. The feature has obtained horrible reviews and currently has an 11 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Interest has also been low because of the special effects driven teasers. Rather than focus on the principal characters, the studio has decided focus on the tornadoes. Disaster movies like "The Day After Tomorrow, "The Perfect Storm" and "Twister" have been successful because they had A-list actors who audiences recognized. "Into the Storm" has no A-list stars, and the fact that they have not been featured in the trailers will ultimately hurt them in the box office.
Despite these prominent negatives, Warner Bros. will unveil the film in 3,494 theaters in hopes of surprising.
The fourth and fifth spots are likely to be disputed by two new releases. In 2,023 theaters "The Hundred-Foot Journey" is expected to open with $10 million, Starring Helen Mirren, the film has obtained mixed reviews and is attempting to attract audiences who saw "Julie and Julia" and "Eat Pray Love." However, even with Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg pushing it, "The Hundred-Foot Journey" does not seem to be generating interest.
Meanwhile, "Step Up: All In" will open in 2,072 and is also likely to make $10 million. The new film is generating a lot of attraction because it brings back cast members from the previous films. This could be a positive especially since the franchise already has an established fan base. However, ever since the first movie, the follow-ups have earned less and less.
The Scarlett Johansson film "Lucy" is likely to make another $9 million and bring its total closer to the $100 million. "Get On Up" will likely drop 50 percent in its second frame. The movie should make $7 million and bring its gross to $25 million.
In Art house cinemas, CBS Films will open the Daniel Radcliffe starrer "What If." The new romantic comedy is slated to be released in 20 theaters and has been garnering rave reviews. However, it isn't tracking well as romantic comedies do not generally do well with art house audiences.
Fox Searchlight will expand the well-reviewed "Calvary" into 41 theaters. The film has made $100,000 in its first weekend, and with good word-of-mouth and Oscar buzz, it could continue to play strongly in art house cinemas.
Sony Pictures Classics will also expand Woody Allen's "Magic in the Moonlight" into 105 theaters for a total of 170 theaters. The film has been playing well throughout its first two weekends and has already made $1.3 million. While it has mixed reviews, "Magic in the Moonlight" continues to show promise at the box office, and this weekend can prove crucial.
After four impressive weeks, IFC Films will expand "Boyhood" into 197 theaters for a total theater count of 507. The film has made $8.3 million and currently ranks as the third highest IFC release. With great word-of-mouth and incredible reviews, "Boyhood" will continue its breakout run.
Roadside Attraction will also continue to roll out "A Most Wanted Man." The film has generated a lot of awards buzz, especially for the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, and with the movie now playing at 806 theaters, Roadside could be looking at another $2 million this weekend.