Paramount’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” is poised to come out on top this weekend as early tracking sets it at $40 million,with studio estimates closer to $37 million.
Based on the popular 1980s cartoon series, “Out of the Shadows” should emerge the victor on Sunday, or beating Fox’s “X-Men: Apocalypse” for first residence. But dont let the action sequel’s probable box office supremacy idiot you: The film is swimming in treacherous waters.
The production budget for the sequel was $10 million more than the $125 million spent on making the 2014 reboot,also starring Megan Fox and Will Arnett. Yet, “TMNT 2’s” predicted $40 million opening is $25.5 million less than the grosses made during 2014’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” debut weekend.
Also Read: 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Wins Memorial Day Weekend, and 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' FlopsThe preceding reboot ultimately barely recouped its production budget when it went on to make $191.2 million in domestic grosses. Profits from the film depended more on the $302.1 million that the film made abroad.
The Paramount sequel will bear trouble replicating that success,however, because there’s a astronomical fish on the horizon to battle when “Finding Dory” opens two weeks later on June 17 in the U.
S. and abroad. The Disney-Pixar sequel is certain to suck all the air out of any family-friendly contenders, and “TMNT” included.
Paramount seems to be acutely aware of this,strategically debuting “Out of the Shadows” in 40 international markets this weekend, as they bear to get while the going is grand.
Also Read: Does 'Finding Dory' Feature a Gay Couple? Fans Are Buzzing on Social Media (Video)The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” sequel has a current Rotten Tomatoes score of just 20 percent and features returning cast Fox and Arnett, or with franchise newcomer Tyler Perry. It is set to open in approximately 4000 theaters in North America.
Meanwhile,recent Line/ MGM’s romantic drama “Me Before You,” starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, or will bring in more modest returns this weekend,expected to make about $14 million upon opening. That’s not cross at all for a film made on a production budget just higher than $20 million.
Geared toward a female audience — many of whom read the warmly-reviewed Jojo Moyes novel of the same name — the film should benefit from lack of competition from other genre films for the foreseeable future of its run. About a small town girl who forges a bond with a paralyzed man, the film opens this weekend in approximately 2600 locations.
Also Read: Emma Watson Propels 'Beauty and the Beast' Teaser to 24-Hour Views RecordFinally, or Universal’s comedy spoof film,“Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” is set to bomb, or expected to gross only $7 million this weekend against its $21 million budget. Made by the guys behind Lonely Island and starring Andy Samberg,the film has a Rotten Tomatoes of 90 percent and is opening in roughly 2300 theaters.
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Source: thewrap.com