Image Credit: DreamWorks Animation LLC
There are three movies opening in wide release this weekend, but all I really want to do is talk about the one with the cat: Puss in Boots.
Why? First, because cats are awesome, and second, because they have consistently been overlooked by a Hollywood system that favors Corgis (like the cute one on our cover), Chihuahuas, and a myriad of dogs that — according to a theory I don’t comprehend — are so ugly they’re adorable. But not anymore! Viva el gato! Oh, and here are my box-office predictions for the top five:
1. Puss in Boots: $42 million
With generally favorable reviews, a marketplace starved for family fare, and a frisky feline that stole the show in the Shrek movies, DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots has the makings of a hit. The only thing that could possibly hold the $130 million movie down is its timing. With Halloween landing on a Monday, many families may be engaged in pre-Halloween activities throughout the weekend. Puss was originally going to be released next week, but Paramount moved the PG-rated picture up a week to avoid Tower Heist and get a jump on upcoming kid flicks like Happy Feet 2 and The Muppets. DreamWorks Animation’s last two films, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Megamind, opened to $47.7 million and $46 million, respectively. Puss should debut slightly below those figures — by no means a dog of a result.
2. Paranormal Activity 3: $25 million
The R-rated horror prequel scored the best October debut ever last weekend with $52.6 million. Horror films normally drop like a rock — Paranormal Activity 2, for instance, fell 59 percent its second weekend. But unlike PA2, this entry doesn’t have to go up against a Saw movie or any other horror film. Also, with Halloween just around the corner, the mood is still ripe for a haunted-house thrill. Figure a decline that’s slightly more than 50 percent instead.
3. In Time: $14 million
The sci-fi premise — people stop aging after 25 and can live forever as long as they “buy” more time — is intriguing, and Justin Timberlake may be just one or two films away from breaking out as a box-office star. But director and writer Andrew Niccol, who was involved in two of my favorite films of the ’90s (Gattaca and The Truman Show), hasn’t really followed through on that potential since then. The $40 million film’s reviews have been mixed, and the last picture that Timberlake headlined — July’s Friends with Benefits — debuted to an okay but unspectacular $18.6 million. Fox would be thrilled if the PG-13 In Time reached the same level, but it’ll probably fall a bit short.
4. The Rum Diary: $9 million
This 1950s-set drama, which cost $50 million to produce, will depend entirely on two names: star Johnny Depp and the late cult author Hunter S. Thompson. Depp can struggle when his name isn’t promoting a tentpole franchise — see The Tourist and Sweeney Todd. And the film’s mild reviews won’t help. But there should be enough Depp and Thompson fans out there to push the R-rated movie’s opening to just under $10 million.
5. Footloose: $6.5 million
This ’80s remake slipped only 33 percent its second weekend. The PG-13 film should hold up nearly as well this weekend, ’cause you can’t stop the beat. Wait, sorry, wrong musical.
In before “America loves crap.”
America loves crap.
Thank you Cameron J..we all know this is you!
Cats ARE awesome.
Honestly, it’s not. You have my word on that. I’m snide, that can be admitted, not troublemaking. :-/
Yeah right take your word for it, like you would admit it, you Troll!
I… honestly don’t get how people not liking my point of view turned me Into LOL
Your Constant defensive remarks about the crap that LOL spews is a good tip off, and some of the LOL comments are done in the same snide manner as your regular comments, I and others think you are the mean spirited version of LOL, so stop it Troll!
Speaking of “Anonymous” it opens nationwide also, why no mention of that?
Why no review for The Three Musketeers? i know it’s crap but i wanna know how Owen or Lisa will write how crappy it is bwahahahaha!
Its only opening in 200 theaters.
@Jose Originally slated for world-wide release in a Shakespeare in Love-style opening, it was rescheduled for restricted release on 28th October 2011 in 250 theatres in the United States,, a tenth of the average, after testing poorly in tracking surveys.
If you are going to use an exclamatory sentence in Spanish, use the correct construction and don’t forget that it needs an inverted exclamation sign at the start of the sentence: “¡Que viva el gato!”
Doubtful “Footloose” will be in the top 5 it is not the hit EW wants it to be..probably be “Reel Steel” ..”In Time” sounds like “Logan’s Run” a movie that I would love to see be remade..and normally I hate remakes!
I think I already heard about a possible remake of Logan’s Run with Ryan Gosling.
Nooooo not Gosling!..I am so sick of him!
Logan’s Run is the only movie I have been hoping for a remake!
I think Puss In Boots will do $45-50 million and with Halloween on Monday, it should thrive until Happy Feet 2 comes out.
I’m going to see it with the family. It’s looking admittedly quite funny. I know reviews are mixed but I personally want to see In Time. It has a great concept, but personally, it’d make a better book if it isn’t already. I admittedly don’t know. But I project them both getting a bit higher.
The Double’ and ‘Like Crazy’ should have both gotten a nationwide theatrical release. If they were given a fair chance, either one of them could have been No. 1 this week. They both have interesting casts and they deserve better than to be ignored by the public now.
The Double has gotten zero buzz and bad reviews.
Ans despite some acclaim for Like Crazy, I doubt its the type of love story audience members will embrace.
STUDIO SHILL #1
I’m looking forward to In Time. It will be amazing to see Justin Timberlake and Cillian Murphy face off.
Thank you, Hollywood plant!
It will be amazing to see another Justin Timberlake movie flop!
Let some REAL actors get starring roles, not this overrated idiot.
To KVKC, you quoted that Justin Timberake can’t act, I guess you haven’t seen The Social Network.
Yeah, I did. He played Justin Timberlake in that movie.
I can do without Timberlake ruining movies too. Just think: in a couple of years’ time we will have Bieber trying the same thing.
You missed another SHILL, Tony.
Espensen being the Shill, not KVKC.
For some reason I gave that one the benifit of the doubt because of the wording, there was no statements like “deserves to make a big impact now.” or “the gorgeous and talented Felicity Jones” always a tip off!
Yeah these comment sections are overrun by paid lackies trying to prey on simpletons to start liking the mediocre talent that’s out there.
Unfortunately only if is a franchise film does an Antonio Banderas movie get a nationwide theatrical release anymore. In the last five years, everything else that he has been in has only gotten a limited release or gone straight to DVD such as Bordertown (2006), My Spy (2008), The Other Man (2008) and The Code (2009). It is a shame. I hope he does more American mainstream movies like he used to. He is an underrated actor and should have joined the A-list years ago.
STUDIO SHILL #2
‘13’ should have been released at least a year ago and it is a disgrace that not only has it been needlessly delayed but it is only getting released in New York and Los Angeles. It has a stellar cast (Jason Statham, Sam Riley, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Ray Winstone, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Michael Shannon, Emmanuelle Chriqui) and deserves to make a big impact now.
STUDIO SHILL #3
The disgrace is you keep polluting thses message boards with your spam about films no one cares about, at least doi it all in one posting like you used to!!
A lot of people don’t know that the gorgeous and talented Felicity Jones is a cougar in this week’s new release, Like Crazy. Anton Yelchin is 22 and she is 27.
AND STUDIO SHILL #4 …THIS IS GETTING SO BAD NOW, THEY ARE WORSE THAN LOL!
5 years isn’t a cougar if she was 45 & he was 22 then of course, but 5 years? Who cares!
She’s not a cougar, she’s a fox.
she is too young to even be a Puma (30 – 40s). I would say she is a Cheetah, still fast enough to cath the young buck being in her 20′s still.
Um wow, such a high jump in age *note sarcasm* Sorry to break your bubble but cougar status would be if she was like 38 and he was 22, or something. I’m 28 and as long as I date someone above 20, I’m not a cougar. Anyways, sounds interesting for the movie.
FYI -
Puma defined as: a woman who is too young to be a cougar, but is older than the man she is dating. Examples include Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries, Delta Goodrem & Nick Jonas, Christina Aguilera & Matthew Rutler.
Cheetah defined as: a woman in her 30s who is dating a man in his 20s. Examples include Nicole Scherzinger & Lewis Hamilton, Eva Longoria & Eduardo Cruz.
Cougar defined as: a predatory 40+ female in pursuit of juvenile male flesh. Examples include Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher, Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon.
How ’bout instead of cougars, pumas OR cheetahs we just refer to them all as women?
^+1
Timberlake won’t “break out as a box-office star”.
Please.
Hollywood’s trying to shove this mediocre tool down our throats. As some one else said, give real actors movies to star in.
Shame is that he is probably one of the best hosts of “SNL” maybe he should do a sitcom instead!
Please.
He should kiss Andy Samberg’s white butt for making his lip-syncing, boy-band wussiness pleasing to the easily entertained sheep that watch that crap.
Always remember the big crybaby that came out of Timberlake on that episode of PUNK’D that they had to dial it back so that he didn’t pee his underoos any further than he did.
That’s the REAL Justin Timberlake: a spoiled brat who probably helped reupholster some of Hollywood’s casting couches after taking off his knee pads.
@^ ^ ^ ^
wow, you really Hate the guy, guess he better watch his back!
Just pointing out what a lot of people seem to miss.
Watch next week if In Time makes some sort of dent at the Box Office (I don’t think it will make more than 8 million) EW will have some banner headline proclaiming JT to be the next big action hero or some other silly headline.
@UGH
EW is too busy pimpin out Ryan Gosling every week to worry about JT!
Definitely seeing Puss in Boots, but will be waiting until next week – have Halloween plans this weekend
Oh, good point. No wonder my internal projections of this were too high.
Well..I think all we know the cat gonna win..and second paranormal activity “only for Halloween” because I saw the second and belive me is a sh*t. and this one maybe is something like that.And for me Justin Timberlake is a fool ,he can’t act.I’m gonna see Johnny Depp this weekend..yes his movie is weird,but I don’t care..he is a good actor
I think you meant Justin Timberlake is a TOOL.
The reviews for the Johnny Depp movie aren’t that great so it’s not like you’re selecting an obvious quality movie. Get over yourself.
Like reviews always matter, “Blade Runner”, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “The Wzard Of Oz”, “Psycho”, “Fight Club”, “A Christmas Story’ and “Scarface” all got mixed to terrible reviews when they were first released…not saying “Rum Diary” is in that league, but I make my own opinions, after all EW gave the “Footloose” remake an “A” rating, and “Fight Club” a “D” rating when it came out, reviews are just someone’s paid opinion!
And you always belive in the reviews?..really?..Get over yourself too.