This weekend’s biggest release is Prisoners, a kidnapping thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman. It has earned wide praise following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and now the film’s producers have to hope that buzz turns into cash at the box office this weekend. It will have to overcome a challenge from Insidious Chapter 2.
Prisoners, directed by Denis Villeneuve, has earned an 80 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and will be seen at 3,260 locations. As Box Office Mojo notes, it is the first adult wide release of the fall. However, the fact that it is two and a half hours and has a gloomy tone may turn off the average moviegoer. A $20 million opening is probably good enough for the film to open at No. 1.
Last weekend, Insidious 2 surprised everyone with a $41 million opening, but it is still a horror movie and the typical second-weekend fall is expected. Entertainment Weekly predicts that it will fall to $17 million. That will easily put it past the first Insidious’ $54 million total, though.
Battle of the Year is a 3D dance movie that features Chris Brown. It only opens at 2,008 locations, but it is still expected to reach the Top 5 with around $9 million.
Holdovers The Family and Riddick will likely make enough to round out the Top 5.
The wild card this weekend comes in the form of Judy Garland. Yes, this is the weekend that 1939’s Wizard of Oz is being released in IMAX 3D. It is only being shown at 318 locations and might be helped out by the fact that there aren’t any other family films out this weekend.
image: Warner Bros./Alcon Entertainment