After a nice rebound weekend last frame, the box office looks to continue its' strong streak as April continues to follow a pattern of starting the summer blockbuster season a month early. Overall business should be able to challenge last year, which featured the $98 million debut of The Fate of the Furious.
Here is the predicted Top 10:
#1: Rampage ($34 million)
Buzz so far has been solid (if unspectacular), and many action fans are saving for Avengers: Infinity War in two weeks. However, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson continues to be a reliable draw, and distributor Warner Bros. has marketed this one heavily. On a budget of $120 million, however, an opening like this may not quite qualify as a success.
#2: A Quiet Place ($28 million, -44%)
Strong word-of-mouth for its genre and exceptional critical attention should keep the John Krasinski thriller afloat. Of course, added competition from another PG-13 horror flick may make this forecast a little too generous.
#3: Truth or Dare ($17 million)
The latest Blumhouse thriller will have to deal with the second weekend of A Quiet Place. But the heavy marketing, strong awareness and PG-13 rating will allow for a broader audience than normal for horror flicks. Truth or Dare seems to be in a similar place to Happy Death Day from last year, which outperformed expectations ($26 million). Mixed reviews won't help, but the broader appeal should lead to a solid start.
#4: Ready Player One ($13.5 million, -47%)
Word-of-mouth appears to be healthy, but added competition from another PG-13 (and another Warner Bros.) action flick won't help matters for Steven Spielberg.
#5: Blockers ($12.5 million, -39%)
A lack of competition for R-rated comedies should allow this original comedy to have a solid second weekend hold.
#6: Isle of Dogs ($9 million, expanding)
Reaching nationwide release at 1,800 locations, Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated flick is positioned for its biggest weekend yet.
#7 (tie): Black Panther ($5.5 million, -37%)
With another PG-13 competitor and the DVD release date announced, don't expect a hold as strong as last week. But, it should remain safe in the Top 10 for the ninth-straight week.
#7 (tie): I Can Only Imagine ($5.5 million, -30%)
The faith-based hit should continue to pull in strong business.
#9 (tie): Chappaquiddick ($4 million, -31%)
This is one of those movies that I think will have a strong hold due to the older audience coming out more as word continues to spread about it.
#9 (tie): Acrimony ($4 million, -52%)
This one will likely continue to fade fast based on Tyler Perry's track record.
Also debuting this weekend is animated film Sargeant Stubby: An American Hero and crime thriller Beirut. Both are debuting in semi-wide release, so both probably won't make it into the Top 10.
