John Krasinski’s latest film, IF, had a promising start in Thursday night previews, raking in an impressive $1.75M. The movie, which is a live-action PG-rated feature, faced challenges in terms of comparisons due to the lack of recent similar releases. However, industry experts are predicting a strong opening weekend with estimates around $40M. It is interesting to note that the top opening for an original live-action PG film was set by “Hop” at $37.5M back in 2011.
In addition to IF, Lionsgate’s horror reboot, “The Strangers: Chapter 1”, also had its previews on Thursday night, bringing in $1.2M. The movie, which revolves around a young couple whose car breaks down in a mysterious town, is expected to earn between $7M-$9M over the weekend. Despite the low ratings from critics (19% on Rotten Tomatoes), audience anticipation seems to be relatively high.
Focus Features released the biopic “Back to Black” about the late Grammy-winning soul singer Amy Winehouse. The film, which was projected to open with $4M-$6M, only managed to gross $375K in previews. Critics have not been kind, with a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the limited exposure that Focus has given the movie, it is evident that it has not been well-received by audiences.
The box office previews for these new releases paint an interesting picture of the varying expectations for each film. While John Krasinski’s IF shows promise with its strong start, other films like “The Strangers: Chapter 1” and “Back to Black” are facing more challenging prospects. It will be intriguing to see how these movies perform over the weekend and whether they can meet or exceed the initial predictions.