Vin Diesel is back at the box office this weekend with his sci-fi film Riddick, which will hopes to win the first weekend of the fall season. Kids are back in school, the holidays are months away and we’re weeks away from the release of awards contenders. Riddick is the only new wide release this weekend, but it faces over 25 new indie releases.
Riddick follows The Chronicles of Riddick, a flop that was released nine years ago. But Universal likes Diesel, as he stars in their big franchise, Fast & Furious. So, they’ve let him go through with this $38 million project. Box Office Mojo predicts that the film will open north of $21 million. It is also being released in IMAX which could boost the total gross.
After Lee Daniels’ The Butler had a strong Labor Day holiday, it stormed back to the top of the box office and managed to beat One Direction: This Is Us. It’s not going to get a fourth weekend at the top, but Entertainment Weekly predicts that it will still come in at No. 2 with $10 million.
The Spanish language film Instructions Not Included might make it into the Top 5. The film made a whopping $10.4 million during the three-day frame last weekend, even though it was only screened at 347 locations. This weekend, it’ll be shown at 747 locations. It stars Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez.
We’re The Millers could still draw enough to stick around, as it looks to pass $120 million.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that there are over 25 new indie films hitting select locations, with the J.D. Salinger documentary Salinger at the top. It opens in New York and Los Angeles. Jennifer Hudson and Terrence Howard also appear in Winnie Mandela, a film getting slammed by critics.
You can check out other movies opening this weekend in our Trailer Park column.
image: Universal/image.net