Thu Jun 16, 2011 11:46pm EDT
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) â€" The pricey superhero picture “Green Lantern†is poised to win the weekend box office race, while Jim Carrey’s “Mr. Popper’s Penguins†will get a chilly reception.
Officially, Warner Bros. is saying “Green Lantern†should earn between $ 50 million and $ 60 million during its first three days of release across North America. Box office observers believe it will come in on the high end of that range, if not higher, and launch a new franchise, despite poor reviews.
20th Century Fox, on the other hand, is forecasting a disappointing launch in the $ 10 million to $ 15 million range for “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.â€
The studio says its financial exposure is limited since “Penguins†cost a relatively modest $ 55 million to produce. In much of the movie, real penguins were used, versus having to rely solely on special effects.
Warners has much more at stake financially, with “Green Lantern†costing $ 200 million to produce. The original budget was $ 150 million, but special effects and the 3D conversion drove up the price tag. The movie, starring Ryan Reynolds as the D.C. Comics character, is tracking best among men over the age of 25.
“Green Lantern†will need to do well overseas, where it rolls out in 15 markets this weekend, in addition to a strong domestic run. The good news: 3D is booming internationally.
Directed by Martin Campbell, “Green Lantern†features Blake Lively as the love interest and also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins and Angela Bassett.
“Penguins,†directed by Mark Waters, is about a divorced dad who redeems himself after the titular birds overtake his Manhattan apartment â€" and life. The movie also stars Carla Gugino, Madeline Carroll, Angela Lansbury and Philip Baker Hall. “Penguins,†based on a 1938 children’s book, could prove a test of Carrey’s ongoing appeal.
One studio exec said he expects “Penguins†to do well internationally, where it begins a slow rollout this week, and on DVD.
“Penguins†was originally set to open in August, but Fox moved the release date up to this Father’s Day weekend, incorporating the holiday into its marketing campaign (take “your pops†to see Popper’s Penguins).
Among more specialized fare, Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris†is expanding to a total of 1,038 theaters this weekend (from 944 last weekend), the widest count of Allen’s long career. The crowd-pleaser has earned more than $ 16 million to date.
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