As the summer winds down, Hollywood is looking at a unique battle between two very different movies at the box office this weekend. Lee Daniels’ The Butler is going up against the raunchy superhero flick Kick-Ass 2.
The Butler has received plenty of buzz and stars Forest Whitaker as a butler who served over half-a-century in the White House. Oprah Winfrey also has a part as his wife and a stream of A-listers are in the cast as various historical figures. Entertainment Weekly is predicting a $25 million opening for the film, considering the recent success of other American historical films like The Help and 42. It’s opening at 2,933 locations this weekend and cost the Weinstein Company $30 million to make.
It’s been over three years since Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass hit theaters and grossed $48.1 million. But it was a critical and cult favorite, which justified the production of a sequel. Unfortunately, the sequel’s not getting good reviews, but fans of the original are still expected to be rushing to see it. Box Office Mojo is expecting a $17 million opening for Kick Ass 2. The R-rated film is being shown at over 3,000 locations.
We’re The Millers is expected to hold up well in weekend number two, along with Planes and Elysium.
Meanwhile, Ashton Kutcher’s Steve Jobs biopic Jobs is opening wide this weekend, but The Hollywood Reporter notes that it’s tracking under $10 million. There’s also Paranoia with Liam Hemsworth and Harrison Ford, which could also land with a thud. It cost IM Global and Demarest Films $35 million to make, but might gross barely $5 million.
image: TWC