Weekend Estimates: Conjuring Humbles R.I.P.D.

July 21, 2013

This is a Summer packed with big-budget proto-franchise films, which makes it a risky season for the studios. Predictably enough, we've had some success stories among them, like Man of Steel and World War Z, and some disasters (with The Lone Ranger and Pacific Rim standing out). Overall, the batting average for these films is running around 50%, which makes it a particularly dicey proposition to have two of them opening in the same weekend.

So it isn't entirely surprising that Turbo and R.I.P.D. both had poor weekends, which studio projections put at $21.5 million and $12.76 million respectively. What is surprisingly is how comprehensively everything was beaten by low-ish budgeted The Conjuring. Warner Bros. has the supernatural thriller pegged to open with about $41.5 million this weekend, which will blow past expectations and leave it well clear of second-placed Despicable Me 2, which will earn about $25 million its third weekend and move past $275 million.

RED 2 looks unlikely to spawn a RED 3, as it will open with around $18.5 million.

In limited release, Fruitvale Station continues to perform well and should make about $740,000 from 34 theaters this weekend. Blackfish is having a stellar opening weekend with a projected $60,500 coming from four theaters. Finally, The Act of Killing will top the theater average theater with a projected $28,067 from a single theater.

Bruce Nash bruce.nash@the-numbers.com

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, World War Z, R.I.P.D., Turbo, Despicable Me 2, Pacific Rim, RED 2, The Conjuring, Fruitvale Station, Blackfish, The Act of Killing