The weekend is finally here. By Sunday, Paramount and Brad Pitt will know if World War Z is a hit or a dead on arrival. It won’t be easy for the film that was plagued by production issues, since it will have to beat Disney and Pixar’s Monsters University and Warner Bros.’ Man of Steel.
Monsters University is the first Pixar prequel, telling how Monsters Inc. stars Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) became friends at college and learned to be the best in the monster world. While 2011’s Cars 2 appeared to slow the studio down, it rebounded last year with the Oscar-winning Brave, which finished with $237.3 million.
Monsters Inc. made $255.9 million in 2001 and opened to $62.6 million. The new film, which is being released in 3D, is easily expected to top that. According to The Wrap, analysts are looking for a $70 million for the G-rated Monsters University.
That should be enough to top World War Z. Paramount reportedly spent well over $200 million to make the film, which Pitt co-produced, but the studio claims it was ‘only’ $190 million. Whatever the cost, its chances of making all that money back are slim. Entertainment Weekly is expecting the film to make around $48 million. At least reviews for the film have been somewhat positive, with a 68 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Man of Steel exploded out of the gate, grossing $125.1 million last weekend, breaking the record for the biggest June opening in history. It’s earned an A- CinemaScore Grade from audiences, so many might be back for a second round of Zod vs. Superman action. It’s expected to gross around $50 million in its second weekend, which would bring it past the $200 million mark after just two weekends.
On a much smaller scale, The Bling Ring is expanding to 500 theaters this weekend.
image: Paramount