Are the Early Releases Going to Win the Weekend?

April 4, 2007

It's Easter weekend and while that isn't the greatest long weekend of the year in terms of the box office, there are still four wide releases trying to take advantage of it. Three of these films are opening early: Are We Done Yet?, Firehouse Dog, and The Reaping.

Opening tonight are a pair of family films, Are We Done Yet? and Firehouse Dog. One of these is earning a stronger marketing push, the other is earning stronger reviews. Guess which will be the bigger hit?

Are We Done Yet?, the sequel / remake is earning a very strong marketing push with plenty of ads appearing on TV. This is good news, because this film can't survive on quality alone. The predecessor earned awful reviews and as hard as it may be to believe, this film is earning worse. So far, the film hasn't been able to earn a single positive review, although at least the negatives are not openly hostile like those earned by some of this year's previous critical bombs, but that's faint praise if I ever heard it.

Are We Done Yet? should be the number one film tonight and Thursday, earning $4 million and $3 million respectively before adding $20 million over the weekend.

When I first saw the trailer to Firehouse Dog, it looked like a charming, if slight, family film. The early reviews seems to bear this out. Granted, the film isn't earning amazing reviews, and it is still too early to predict a final score, but it is clearly the best film out of the three opening early this week. On the other hand, it might be the weakest at the box office. It has direct competition in Are We Done Yet? and that film is crushing this one in the marketing department.

Because of the competition and lackluster marketing. Firehouse Dog won't be able to meet its potential, earning $2.5 million tonight and under $2 million tomorrow, while over the weekend it should add $12 million.

Opening on Thursday is The Reaping while Grindhouse makes its debut on Friday. We'll talk about those films, and some holdovers, tomorrow in the full weekend preview.


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Filed under: Firehouse Dog, Are We Done Yet?