It was a small night for previews, but it’s a small weekend for wide entries with two thrifty budgeted movies. Sony/Screen Gems’ Deon Taylor Black and Blue starring 007’s Naomie Harris as a rookie New Orleans police officer who witnesses her fellow cops committing a murder drew $675K at 1,962 venues that began at 7PM. Pic expands to 2,062 today. Black and Blue is expected to open in the mid-single digits, maybe $10M.
STX has the $6.5M horror production Countdown which made $515K last night from 7pm shows, on par with such horror pics as 47 Meters Down Uncaged ($500K) and Hell Fest ($435k). Both those pics opened to $8.4M ($22.2M) final) and $5.1M ($11.1M final) and Countdown is expected to open in the same single day range.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros./Village Roadshow/Bron Studios’ Joker is expected to rule supreme with $19M-$20M in its 4th weekend. Throughout its weekdays, it beat Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. However, the pic ends its third week with $40.7M, just behind Maleficent 2’s $46.8M. Maleficent 2 is poised to see a $15M-$16M second weekend, -58% for a 10-day of $62.8M.
Sony’s Zombieland: Double Tap looks to take third again with $12M, -55% for a 10-day take of $47.4M. The Ruben Fleischer directed movie made $36.4M in its first week.
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