Last night all the talk was about how The Three Stooges was over-performing and looking at a potential $20+ million weekend. As it turns out, it wasn’t quite that impressive, but the Stooges are still in the running for the top spot ahead of The Cabin in the Woods as both newcomers are looking up at The Hunger Games, which holds the current lead and hopes to become the first film since Avatar to win four weekends in a row.
The Hunger Games took in an estimated $6.4 million on Friday and is looking at what could be a $20 million weekend (39% drop from last weekend) and I don’t see Stooges or Cabin catching it.
Stooges and Cabin in the Woods were neck-and-neck on Friday with $5.5 million and $5.6 million respectively, and considering their ratings I think Cabin‘s chance for a #1 finish is gone. With an R-rating, Cabin would have needed a big Friday with horror auds as it is certainly less likely to bring ’em in over the weekend where the PG-rated Stooges are more likely to succeed.
My guess would have the Stooges ending somewhere around $17 or $18 million for the weekend with Cabin topping out around $14.3 million if it’s lucky, it could be even worse considering the weekend’s CinemaScores.
Audiences weren’t particularly impressed with any of the weekend’s new offerings giving The Three Stooges a B- and Cabin in the Woods a lowly C, which may as well be an F as far as I’m concerned considering audiences are more likely to inflate their grade for something they paid good money for.
The weekend’s other new release was Lockout, which earned a B- from audiences and brought in $2.2 million from 2,308 theaters. The PG-13 film is likely to remain consistent throughout the weekend and end somewhere in the $6.5 million range.
I have included Friday’s estimated top ten directly below and will be back on Sunday morning with a complete weekend wrap-up. Tell me, any of you willing to bet against The Hunger Games and its fourpeat at this point?
- The Hunger Games – $6.4 million
- The Three Stooges – $5.6 million
- The Cabin in the Woods – $5.5 million
- American Reunion – $3.4 million
- Titanic 3D – $3.3 million
- Lockout – $2.2 million
- 21 Jump Street – $2.05 million
- Mirror Mirror – $2.03 million
- Wrath of the Titans – $1.9 million
- Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax – $887,000
