A box office upset is brewing.
Sensei’s weekend predictions and revenue results are as follows:
1. If I Stay ($19 Million)– Going with the upset here. If anything, The Fault in Our Stars showed how strong the young teen demographic can be. Sensei expects the film industry to eventually screw up such a reliable demographic by releasing future political fare aimed at them. But for now, full steam ahead.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy ($14 Million)– Oh, it’s good to be a blockbuster. Word of mouth remainsstrong, and this film will post another strong weekend. Film will pullwithin striking distance of the $250 million domestic mark.
3. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For ($13 Million)– Much has been made about the delay between this squeal and the original Sin City, but that’s only part of the problem. The theater count (only 2,750+), pales in comparison to the release pattern seen by other R rated sequels (300: Rise of an Empire, 22 Jump Street, and so on). Director Robert Rodriguez’s box office record is also pretty suspect after two Machete flops.
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ($12.4 Million)– Film shocked everyone with its high opening (including Sensei’s prediction), but the low buzz is quickly catching up to it. Look for another big drop this weekend.
5. When the Game Stands Tall ($9.2 Million) – Football dramas are hit or miss. You can hit The Blind Side-like numbers, or easily dwindle down to Draft Day-like box office results. The later looks like the safe result here.
In other calls:
In a mass exodus, look for Let’s Be Cops, Expendables 3 and The Giver to all fall out of the top five.
That’s Sensei’s take. Have a great weekend.