The box office is shaping up to be a close battle between Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy and Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules. Lucy eked out a victory on Thursday night with early screenings, starting out at No. 1 at the gate.
AMC had a computer glitch Friday morning, which delayed the correct numbers reaching Hollywood. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal estimates that Lucy grossed $2.5 million from early showings.
The film stars Johansson and Morgan Freeman and was directed by Luc Besson. As previously reported, analysts think that the film will make at least $36 million, which should be enough to beat Hercules.
Speaking of the Greek demigod, the latest cinematic version of the story was directed by Brett Ratner and brings Johnson back to the big screen. The Paramount/MGM film made an estimated $2.1 million Thursday night, notes Deadline.
Lucy might be hampered by its R rating, but Johansson is a big enough star to propel the film to a win. Both it and Hercules have to contend with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which is in its third weekend.
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