Box Office Preview: ‘Wall Street’ rally likely
LOS ANGELES ñ If greed is good, big box office is better.
The return of Michael Douglas’ iconic movie villain Gordon Gekko in Fox’s “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” is expected to open on top this weekend with a rally around $20 million.
Director Oliver Stone’s 1987 original earned close to $90 million in today’s dollars, as well as an acting Oscar for Douglas and an enduring place in popular culture for Gekko and his greed. So anticipation for the sequel is running high.
With very few options in the weekend marketplace for the family crowd, Warner Bros.’ “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” should take flight in the mid to high teens, showcasing a shift into PG territory for director Zack Snyder, who built his reputation on highly stylized R-rated fare.
Ben Affleck’s “The Town” from Warner Bros. opened last week with a stronger-than-expected $23.8 million and should hold up well in its second outing. With midweek grosses in the $2.5 million to $3 million range, the R-rated heist drama has been generating strong word-of-mouth and kudos for Affleck’s directing prowess. A gross in the mid teens against a minimal mid-40 percent drop is to be expected.
Sony’s “Easy A” has also been generating strong buzz and is already a solid profit-making machine for the studio. Star Emma Stone has proven herself to be an appealing draw for teen audiences and the modestly budgeted film should wind up with close to $10 million in its sophomore weekend for a gross of $30 million so far.
Disney newcomer “You Again” should occupy the weekend’s fifth position in the $8 million to $10 million range. The ensemble comedy will have strong female appeal with an all-star cast that includes Kristen Bell, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristen Chenoweth and Betty White.
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