‘Compton’ To Live Large In Second Weekend As It Towers Over Three – Box Office Preview
Three new R-rated wide entries this weekend aren’t going to stop Universal/Legendary’s Straight Outta Compton‘s joyride at No. 1.
The film is expected to decline 50%, most likely softer, from its $60.2M opening. Compton‘s momentum hasn’t ebbed one bit, racking up $7.3M Tuesday, a 2% dip from its Monday take of $7.46M. Through five days, the F. Gary Gray-directed film stands at $74.9M. With soft weekends ahead as adults head out on vacation, the anticipation is that Compton could hold, given its strong buzz.
Of the three new titles, Gramercy/Focus’ sequel Sinister 2 is going to do the best, with $17.5M-$18M per industry estimates — a number that would be on par with the first 2012 installment’s $18M, which finaled at $48.1M. Young females are tracking strong for this Blumhouse title, which will be on 2,758 screens. Although Sinister star Ethan Hawke isn’t around for the sequel, Sinister 2 reteams director-scribe Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill on the script with a new director Ciaran Foy. Derrickson selected Foy, whose resume includes the 2012 horror thriller Citadel. Previews start at 7PM Thursday.
Related‘Sinister’ Alliance Continues As Helmer Ciaran Foy And Blumhouse Scare Up New Thriller ‘The Shee’
20th Century Fox is rebooting its feature take on the IO Interactive videogame Hitman with Hitman: Agent 47. The film looks to grab guys under and over 25 with a $10M-$12M weekend at 3,261 theaters. That would put the pic in third, above Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which is projected to take $10M, down about 42%, in its fourth frame. Through yesterday, M:I5‘s domestic B.O. stands at $142.6M. Previews start at 8PM Thursday for Agent 47. The first Hitman was released during the Thanksgiving 2007 period with Timothy Olyphant in the title role. That film made $21.1M over five days with a final B.O. of $39.7M.
American Ultra, which reteams Adventureland co-stars Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg, is looking at $6M-$8M in 2,778 locations. The ultraviolent film, directed by Project X helmer Nima Nourizadeh and scripted by Chronicle‘s Max Landis, touts an all-star cast including Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins, Tony Hale and Bill Pullman. The story follows a stoner couple in a small town who, upon realizing that they’re ultimate fighting machines, become CIA targets. On Rentrak’s Pre-Act, which monitors social media buzz, American Ultra is trending very high behind Sinister 2 among this weekend’s openers. When Eisneberg’s Now You See Me was set to open in 2013, no one in town saw that it would be a surprise hit with $29.4M FSS, but Pre-Act noticed that online buzz was through the roof for that film heading into its weekend. Deadline’s Ross Lincoln reported that there was a cool promo stunt for American Ultra during Comic-Con, making free ganja available to those with medical weed cards.
Related‘American Ultra’ Review: Can Jesse Eisenberg Save The World, Kristen Stewart AND This Stoner Movie?
There was a warm reaction to footage at CinemaCon for American Ultra, which prompted Lionsgate to date the film for this Friday back in April. Coming out of Berlin last year, Lionsgate shelled out $7M for the U.S. rights to American Ultra. CAA repped the domestic sale. The previous August R-rated release for Eisenberg was the 2011 comedy caper 30 Minutes Or Less, which opened to $13.3M and finaled at $37.1M. American Ultra reps the first wide opener for Stewart since 2012’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Post-Twilight, the actress has segued to indies such as the Oscar-winning Still Alice ($18.8M) and the Cannes 2014 entry Clouds Of Sils Maria ($1.8M).
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