As expected, Universal’sThe Fate of the Furiousdebuted in grand fashion last weekend, setting a newbox office recordfor a global opening weekend of $531.9 million, although its $98.7 million domestic debut was far from any sort of record. Over the past few years, theFast & Furiousfranchise has established its dominance in the month of April, typically posting huge debuts and repeating atop the box office charts for several weeks in a row, before the summer movie season officially gets under way.The Fate of the Furiousis expected to follow that pattern, repeating atop the box office with $49.2 million, easily beating out five new films arriving in nationwide release.
Box Office Mojoreports that, of the five new releases, most will debut in less than half the theaters thatFast & Furious 8debuted in last weekend (4,310). Warner Bros.‘Unforgettablewill have the widest release of the bunch with roughly 2,350 theaters, followed by Open Road Films’ dramaThe Promisearriving in roughly 2,000 theaters, with both Cinelou Films' sci-fi horror filmPhoenix Forgottenand Disney’s documentaryBorn in Chinadebuting in 1,500 theaters. A24 also releasesFree Firewide this weekend, but there wasn’t an estimated theater count quite yet.Free Fireis currently the biggest theatrical hit out of this crop of new releases with a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, withBorn in Chinacurrently at a 75% rating, although none of the other new releases have enough reviews to be counted against the Tomatometer.
We’re predicting thatUnforgettabledebuts in a distant second place behindThe Fate of the Furiouswith $14.2 million.Unforgettablefollows Tessa Connover (Katherine Heigl), who is barely coping with the end of her marriage, when she learns that her ex-husband David is now happily engaged to Julia (Rosario Dawson). Trying to settle into her new life, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her forget her troubled past. Soon, Tessa’s jealousy starts to consume her, and she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s paradise into the ultimate nightmare.Denise Di NovidirectsUnforgettablefrom a script byChristina HodsonandDavid Leslie Johnson, with a supporting cast that includesGeoff Stults,Whitney CummingsandCheryl Ladd.
The top five will be rounded out byThe Promisein third place with $10.3 million, followed by holdoversThe Boss Baby($7.4 million) andBeauty and the Beast($7.1 million).The Promisefollows brilliant medical student Michael (Oscar Isaac), who meets beautiful dance instructor Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) in late 1914. Their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between Michael and Ana’s boyfriend (Christian Bale), an American photojournalist who’s dedicated to exposing the truth. As the Ottoman Empire crumbles into war-torn chaos, their conflicting passions must be deferred as they join forces to get themselves and their people to safety. The top 10 will likely be rounded out byBorn in China($6.8 million),Free Fire($6.2 million),Phoenix Forgotten($5.3 million),Smurfs: The Lost Village($4.1 million) andGoing in Style($3.8 million).
Bold, breathless and wickedly fun,Free Fireis an electrifying action comedy about an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong. Acclaimed filmmakerBen Wheatley(Kill List,High Rise) propels the audience head-on into quite possibly the most epic shootout ever seen on film as he crafts a spectacular parody, and biting critique, of the insanity of gun violence. Everyone’s got a gun, and absolutely no one is in control. Set in a colorful yet gritty 1970s Boston, Free Fire opens with Justine (Oscar winnerBrie Larson), a mysterious American businesswoman, and her wise-cracking associate Ord (Armie Hammer) arranging a black-market weapons deal in a deserted warehouse between IRA arms buyer Chris (Cillian Murphy) and shifty South African gun runner Vernon (Sharlto Copley). What starts as a polite if uneasy exchange soon goes south when tensions escalate and shots are fired, quickly leading to a full-on Battle Royale where it’s every man (and woman) for themselves.
Directed by Chinese filmmakerLu Chuan, Disneynature’sBorn in Chinafollows the stories of three animal families, transporting audiences to some of the most extreme environments on Earth to witness some of the most intimate moments ever captured in a nature film. A doting panda bear mother guides her growing baby as she begins to explore and seek independence. A two-year-old golden monkey who feels displaced by his new baby sister joins up with a group of free-spirited outcasts. And a mother snow leopard, an elusive animal rarely caught on camera, faces the very real drama of raising her two cubs in one of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on the planet. Featuring stunning, never-before-seen imagery captured in the remote wilds of China, the film is produced by Disney’sRoy Conliand premiere nature filmmakersBrian LeithandPhil Chapman.
Phoenix Forgottenis based on the shocking, true events of March 13th, 1997, when several mysterious lights appeared over Phoenix, Arizona. This unprecedented and inexplicable phenomenon became known as “The Phoenix Lights”, and remains the most famous and widely viewed UFO sighting in history.Phoenix Forgottentells the story of three teens who went into the desert shortly after the incident, hoping to document the strange events occurring in their town. They disappeared that night, and were never seen again. Now, on the twentieth anniversary of their disappearance, unseen footage has finally been discovered, chronicling the final hours of their fateful expedition. For the first time ever, the truth will be revealed. Also opening in limited release is IFC’s documentaryCitizen Janeand MUBI’sThe Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki, withThe Lost City of Zexpanding to 500 theaters.
Looking ahead to next weekend, three new movies will debut in the last weekend of spring, beforeGuardians of the Galaxy 2kicks off the summer movie season on May 5. Opening next weekend is STX Entertainment’sThe Circle, Pantelion’sHow to Be a Latin Loverand Blumhouse Tilt’sSleight. Also arriving in limited release is Gunpowder & Sky’sBelow Her Mouth, Well Go USA’sBuster’s Mal Heart,Grey Lady, Well Go USA’sThe Ladyand Oscilloscope Pictures’One Week and a Day. Take a look at our projections for the weekend of April 21 below.
