This weekend, movie audiences will have another adventure with Captain Kirk and Spock thanks to J.J. Abrams and Paramount’s Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel to Abrams’ successful 2009 franchise reboot. The film is looking to reach $100 million and is already doing well thanks to early screenings.
According to Deadline, as of Thursday night, the film reached $14 million, with $3.5 million of that coming from Thursday midnight screenings and Wednesday IMAX showings. Paramount is predicting a modest $80 million four-day debut, but most industry insiders expect it to cross $100 million.
Star Trek is one of the most iconic franchises in movie and television history and this is the 12th film in the series. The franchise was nearly left for dead after 2002’s Nemesis flopped, but as Box Office Mojo notes, Abrams revived the series with 2009’s Star Trek. The reboot gave audiences a younger version of the original series characters and debuted to $75 million. It finished its run with $257.7 million.
Into Darkness brings Benedict Cumberbatch into the fold, with the Sherlock star playing the villain. The main cast from the 2009 film, including Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, are back. It cost the studio $190 million to make.
So far, it’s getting solid reviews, earning an 88 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
As for the rest of the movies still in theaters, Iron Man 3 and The Great Gatsby will still do decent business. Box Office Mojo is predicting that Iron Man 3 drops to $33 million in its third weekend, while Gatsby will make around $27 million for its second weekend.
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