Will Jason Bourne knock out Star Trek Beyond who was king this past weekend at the box office? With 83% of critics calling Beyond fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, it looks like it might not drop off as quickly as other sequels this year. However, with three wide releases this weekend I think it is highly doubtful that Star Trek will be on top of the charts beyond its first week. Also, will the new Ghostbusters continue to haunt the top 5 in its third weekend? All puns aside, let’s take a look at the new releases this weekend and see what your best bets are at your local multiplex.
Jason Bourne
Yet another big franchise that is getting a reboot or delayed sequel. Matt Damon is back in the titular role after a seemingly failed attempt to pass the baton to Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy. Will the return of the star and director Paul Greengrass guarantee a big opening? I kind of doubt it in this summer of failed sequels. Legacy opened to only $38 million while Damon’s last appearance in Ultimatum was the largest of the series with an opening weekend of over $69 million. I think we will see an opening somewhere between those two films as there is some buzz around Damon’s return. See the other movies opening this weekend and my box office prediction after the jump.
Bad Moms
I’m not even a mom and I think this looks like a fun over-the-top girls night out waiting to happen. The red band trailer is getting a lot of traction on YouTube. I think this definitely has the potential to explode like Bridesmaids did with its nearly all female cast. That film opened over $26 million and I think that Bad Moms could compete with that and the biggest question for me is will it beat Star Trek Beyond in 2nd place this weekend and how will it affect our other largely female comedy in Ghostbusters?
Nerve
I was initially really interested in this movie because I think it is a very interesting concept especially with the recent boom of Pokemon Go. It is hard to classify this one because it kind of looks like a teen comedy at points, but then it takes a hard right into horror territory. If it wasn’t coming from the team the gave us the surprisingly good Catfish, I would think that this would slide into Gamer territory with a $9 million opening. However, with some good buzz, I think we should compare it more closely to Unfriended which opened with $15 million.
Indignation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkncP1X6k4w
Opening in limited release we see Logan Lerman (who I love for more than just the fact that he shares my name) play a young man from a New Jersey Jewish upbringing narrowly missing the draft by enrolling in a strictly Christian school in Ohio. There he struggles with anti-Semitism, sexual repression, and the ongoing Korean War. It is based on Philip Roth’s 2008 novel. I have high hopes for this as a vehicle for Lerman to show his considerable acting chops. It probably won’t be playing near you unless you are in L.A. or New York, but keep your eyes out for it, because if the early buzz is correct I think we will see it get picked up for a wider release.
Weekend Box Office Prediction:
- Jason Bourne – $47 million
- Star Trek Beyond – $32 million
- Bad Moms – $26 million
- Secret Life of Pets – $15 million
- Nerve – $12 million