This weekend a trio of new films are looking to unseat The Bourne Legacy from the top of the box office. But can a pumped up action sequel, a double dose of kids flicks or a diva’s swan song take down the reigning champ? Here are our predictions:
First up is The Expendables 2, starring a who’s who of action icons, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. With this much (faded) starpower and fond memories of the 2010 original, there’s no question that The Expendables 2 will be the film to beat this weekend. Look for it to blow away the competition with a first place debut with $43 million.
Check out the rest of our predictions after the jump!
The first family offering this weekend that will make a dent is The Odd Life Of Timothy Green, starring Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton. This one has come out of nowhere, but in the last few weeks the commercials have been all over television, highlighting what looks to be a sweet film about a couple whose lives are changed after burying their wishes for a child in their backyard. A little bit of fantasy should go a long way in bringing audiences to the movie. Look for a second place debut for The Odd Life of Timothy Green with $21 million.
Sparkle is the final film appearance of Whitney Houston, who died three months after filming completed on this remake of a 1976 movie about a girl group formed in the ’50’s. This remake moves to the 1960’s and Motown-era Detroit and features Jordin Sparks of American Idol fame in her first onscreen role. Let’s not mince words – the appeal for this one rest completely with the memory of Whitney Houston, but it will likely be enough to bring in an audience. Look for Sparkle to shine in fourth place with $15 million.
The final new release this weekend is ParaNorman, a 3D stop-motion flick from the same folks who brought Neil Gaiman’s Coraline to theatres. I’ll let you decide if you want to check the film out by reading Corina’s review from a few weeks back here. Sadly, I think ParaNorman will suffer from the onslaught of new releases this week and might miss out on finding an audience. Look for a fifth place finish with $14 million.
As for the rest of the top five, with so many new releases gunning for audiences, I’m expecting to see a significant drop for The Bourne Legacy. Look for a fourth place finish with $18 million.
So, to recap, here are our predictions:
1) The Expendables 2 – $43 million
2) The Odd Life Of Timothy Green – $21 million
3) The Bourne Legacy – $18 million
4) Sparkle – $15 million
5) ParaNorman – $14 million
Be sure to check back on Sunday to see how the weekend turns out!
