Halle Berry and Steve Carell invade the box office this weekend in The Call and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, but it is going to take some serious magic to dethrone last weekend's winner: Oz The Great and Powerful. In limited release, James Franco's Spring Breakers might rob some dough before its nationwide expansion, while Kristen Dunst and Jim Sturgess look for love in fantasy romance Upside Down.
With Oz likely to continue his reign over the box office, it's unlikely for this weekend's new releases to make much of a splash. Burt Wonderstone would be lucky to earn $20 million from 3160 theaters, though an opening weekend in the mid-teen millions is more on par with Carell's recent box office ventures. In 2507 theaters, The Call will have an even more difficult time finding an audience. Other than her appearances in the original X-Men trilogy, only two of Halle Berry's films released thus far in the 21st century have opened above $20 million: 2005's Robots ($36 million) and 2002's Die Another Day ($47 million). And so I think it is a safe bet to predict an opening weekend below $10 million for The Call.
With mixed reviews coming out of SXSW, Spring Breakers begins its theatrical run in three theaters, though is set to expand next weekend to around 600 theaters. The film may be able to reach half a million this weekend, but only if it finds a way to get those celebrating spring break into the theaters. Upside Down is probably the most difficult prediction to make for this weekend. Romance films historically do well during the first part of the year, but the science fiction-fantasy elements may make this a harder sell. And while both Sturgess and Dunst have enjoyed recent critical successes, neither have had many box office successes outside of Dunst's appearances in the original Spider-Man trilogy. Add in the fact that the film is only opening in eleven theaters, and its opening weekend looks quite bleak. I would be surprised if it makes over a quarter of a million.
Are you going to give this weekend's new fare a chance, or are you still trapped in Oz? Leave a comment below to let me know what you plan to see this weekend!
Tune in next weekend to see if Tina Fey's Admission will school The Croods, or if Gerard Butler will save the day in Olympus Has Fallen.
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