It looks like this weekend will easily outpace this same weekend last year. Here is the projected Top 10:
#1: The Jungle Book ($57 million, -45%)
#2: The Huntsman: Winter's War ($32 million)
#3: Barbershop: The Next Cut ($12.5 million, -38%)
#4: The Boss ($6 million, -41%)
#5: Zootopia ($5 million, -39%)
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($5 million, -45%)
#7: Elvis and Nixon ($2.5 million)
Criminal ($2.5 million, -58%)
#9: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 ($2 million, -39%)
#10: Miracles from Heaven ($1.3 million, -32%)
The Huntsman: Winter's War may be a prequel to a successful movie, but its to a movie that got down-the-middle reception (Snow White and the Huntsman). Reviews are atrocious (16% on Rotten Tomatoes), and tracking really hasn't been great. It could benefit from a lack of real female-centric options in theaters, but that might be the only reason why I have it slightly above what others are expecting it to earn. Overseas has been somewhat slow too, with $45 million picked up so far from 25 territories.
Elvis and Nixon is a movie that has been under my radar, but it is getting a semi-wide release. Considering how low the bottom half of the Top 10 is earning, it will earn a spot in the list, but its' gross won't be anywhere near memorable.
The Jungle Book will easily remain at #1, though Disney's live-action remakes don't usually hold very well in their second weekends (Cinderella, Maleficent and Oz: The Great and Powerful all fell at least 45%). With the strong buzz Jungle is getting, that smallest percentage seems like the safest bet to go with at this moment.
Barbershop: The Next Cut should be set to hold well, as its predecessors both had decent multiples and this one has stellar reviews and word-of-mouth. The Boss should get a small break this weekend, though females will be lured away to a degree by Huntsman. Zootopia will remain in the mix in its eighth weekend, while Batman v. Superman hopes to finally have a drop less than 50%.
The rest of the pack is in the list by default despite small grosses. Criminal will drop hard due to negative word-of-mouth, while My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and Miracles from Heaven will get one final hurrah with little to no competition.
