‘Virgin’ should get lucky at box office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – As Hollywood’s summer coasts to its Labor Day close, box office expectations tend to diminish along with summer work hours. But this weekend, four films will try to overcome the end-of-summer malaise with fresh offerings to four distinct demographics.
The likely winner of the frame is “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” which should top the $20 million mark for the three-day period.
Hot on the heels of “Wedding Crashers,” the Universal Pictures release already is receiving the highest of compliments from reviewers, who are saying the film is on par with if not better than the hit Vince Vaughn- Owen Wilson starrer.
Starring Steve Carell, “Virgin” centers on a 40-year-old retail clerk who never got around to having sex. His friends, including Paul Rudd, are committed to getting this average Joe deflowered. Catherine Keener co-stars in a well-reviewed role as Carell’s love interest.
The R-rated film — director Judd Apatow’s theatrical debut — should open well in these dog days of summer, luring those elusive young men who have been avoiding the megaplex.
Hoping for a rebound after the fatal release of “The Island,” DreamWorks Pictures will bow Wes Craven’s “Red Eye,” which insiders predict will bow in the mid-teen-millions.
The PG-13 film marks Craven’s transition from horror to thriller. The film stars up-and-comers Rachel McAdams (“Wedding Crashers”) and Cillian Murphy, the Irish actor who shone in “Batman Begins.” “Red Eye” centers on a woman held captive on an airplane by a stranger who threatens to kill her father unless she helps him arrange the assassination of a wealthy businessman. It cost less than $30 million to produce.
Disney will bow the British computer-animated film “Valiant,” from Vanguard Animation, the company founded by “Shrek” producer John Williams.
“Valiant” follows the adventures of a World War II carrier pigeon. Directed by first-timer Gary Chapman, the film features the voices of Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais, John Cleese and Jim Broadbent. The $40 million, G-rated film opened in March in the U.K. and has grossed $15 million. With limited publicity in the U.S. compared with the huge animated blockbusters that flood multiplexes here, “Valiant” will find it difficult to take flight. Industry insiders put the film’s weekend gross at $10 million.
20th Century Fox opened “Supercross: The Movie” on Wednesday. The film revolves around two brothers who, after the suspicious death of their father, must motivate each other to get back on their bikes for the Supercross championships in Las Vegas. Aiming at fans of extreme sports, the PG-13 film is unlikely to cross the $10 million mark for the five-day frame.
In limited release, Wellspring opened the indie documentary “Reel Paradise” on Wednesday in New York. The R-rated film centers on indie film guru John Pierson, who moves his family to Fiji for one year to run the world’s most remote movie theater.
Tartan Films bows “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” on three screens in New York. The R-rated South Korean film tells the story of a deaf mute who struggles to find a way to help his sister, who requires a kidney transplant.
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