According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, 2 GUNS (Universal/Emmett-Furla) claimed Friday with $9.8M (including $1.3M from Thursday night). If that number holds, it’ll be considerably below Denzel Washington’s last action opening for Safe House, which started with $13.6M, despite the presence this time of Mark Wahlberg, although it would be higher than Unstoppable ($8M) and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 ($8.2M). It should lead to an OK $25-27M weekend, however with Washington’s older-skewing audience, a strong Saturday is possible and could boost the total.
THE SMURFS 2 (Sony) is reporting a $5.7M Friday, which would be very unimpressive after a $5.2M opening day on Wednesday–just 2 weeks ago, Turbo also opened on a Wednesday, and after a $5.6M opening day, had a $6.6M Friday, which was itself considered a disappointment. Smurfs could end up with a $17-18M weekend and $27M or so in its first 5 days, and especially with Disney’s Planes arriving next weekend, it will need to overperform internationally even more than the first Smurfs did if it wants to get close to that movie’s $563.8M worldwide total.
THE WOLVERINE (20th) fell apart on its 2d Friday, down almost 70% from last week to $6.4M (although that included $4M from Thursday night). The drop should moderate over the weekend, but it still won’t be pretty, likely a 60% decline to $20M at best–another movie that will need a giant overseas result to be much of a success.
THE CONJURING (Warners) continues to hold beautifully, down only around 45% Friday-to-Friday for $4.1M. It will pass $100M on Saturday, with plenty of scares to come. DESPICABLE ME 2 (Universal), even with the arrival of Smurfs, should only fall about 40% for the day to $3M, with a real chance of reaching $350M in the US before it’s done. GROWN UPS 2 (Sony), RED 2 (Lionsgate/Summit) and THE HEAT (20th) also had good Fridays with $2.3M, $1.6M and $1.3M respectively. TURBO (DreamWorks Animation/20th), though, toppled by almost 55% to $1.9M, and PACIFIC RIM (Warners) neared the end of its ignominious US run by falling another 50% to $1.1M.
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