“Grindhouse” set to terrorize holiday box office
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Americans might be marking such religious celebrations as Passover and Easter this week, but at the box office this weekend, the stage is set for bloody mayhem and broad slapstick.
The No. 1 slot is likely to go to “Grindhouse,” a marathon of B-movie tropes from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, which should open in the low- to mid-$20 million range.
The Dimension Films/Weinstein Co. release is the big-buzz movie among legions of hardcore thrill-seekers. The novel packaging — the movie is set up as a double bill, complete with trailers of coming attractions — encompasses Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror,” in which Rose McGowan blasts away at nasty zombies, and Tarantino’s “Death Proof,” in which Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike faces off against some fast-driving chicks.
Two years ago on April 1, Rodriguez’s “Sin City” opened to $29.1 million. And Tarantino’s past two films, “Kill Bill-Vol. 1” in 2003 and “Kill Bill-Vol. 2” in 2004, opened to $22.1 million and $25.1 million, respectively. “Grindhouse’s” biggest handicap is not its R rating but the fact that it runs more than three hours.
Sony Pictures, meanwhile, will court laughs with its this-old-house comedy “Are We Done Yet?”
The PG-rated release is both a sequel — stars Ice Cube and Nia Long, whose characters were dating in 2005’s road trip comedy “Are We There Yet?” are now married with children — and a remake of sorts: It’s loosely based on 1948’s “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House,” with Ice Cube stepping into the Cary Grant role of a new homeowner who stumbles into a money pit.
“Are We There Yet?” attracted families and urban audiences, opening at No. 1 with $18.6 million in 2005. The sequel could do comparable business, but its three-day weekend number will likely be lower because of the movie’s Wednesday opening, timed to take advantage of school vacationers.
“Done” will end up jousting with last weekend’s No. 1 film, the comedy “Blades of Glory,” for the second spot. “Blades” bowed at $33 million last weekend, so a 40%-50% drop would put it in the $16 million-$20 million range. It also will compete with the second weekend of Disney’s animated “Meet the Robinsons.”
Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Reaping,” which opens Thursday, might have some resonance given the surrounding religious holidays. The R-rated horror movie stars Hilary Swank as a religious skeptic investigating what appears to be a series of biblical plagues in a Southern town. Despite the presence of the two-time Oscar winner, the movie could have difficulty climbing above the $10 million mark.
On the family front, Fox’s PG-rated “Firehouse Dog,” which opened Wednesday, will compete with “Robinsons” and the three-week old “TMNT.”
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