The sci-fi thriller Elysium and the animated film Planes are neck and neck at the box office according to early estimates.
Disney is hoping to boost numbers at the Saturday matinees, when families are most likely to attend to watch the Cars spin-off, while Sony is banking on adults coming to the theater on Friday night.
At this point it’s anyone’s game, it’s just too close to call.
Third place belongs to Jennifer Aniston’s raunchy R-rated comedy We’re The Millers , who has received mixed reviews and for which Aniston was criticized as being too old to be stripping on the big screen.
In any case, the movie continues to do well with $11.5 million in two days, this puts it on track to make $35 million for the first five days.
Elysium , is not doing as well as Neill Blomkamp’s previous film, District 9, which made $39 million with an cast made of unknowns.
Far from a blockbuster, Elysium is faring better than Sony’s previous sci-fi flop, After Earth. Not even Will Smith could save this one. It opened with a poor showing of $1 million on Thursday night and finished the weekend with only $27 million.
Fox’s Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters is currently in fourth place and is expected to top at about $20 million for the five day opening weekend. This is a 30 percent drop-off from the original, Percy Jackson And The Olympians: The Lightning Lightning Thief, which opened to $31 million in three days.
Many are speculating that this may be the last installment in the series if it doesn’t perform as expected. Estimates for Percy Jackson were for a $25 million weekend at the very least, some came in as low as $20 million.
The four movies fighting for the top spot at the box office have clear target audiences, Planes is made for families, Percy Jackson targets teens, Millers try for the chicks, and Elysium is made with they guys in mind. Something for everyone.