Thursday, April 19, 2012

Box Office Preview: 'Man' & 'Lucky' go mano-a-mano

The-Lucky-One Sony's "Think Like A Man," the screen adaptation of Steve Harvey's best-selling dating book, and Warner Bros.' "The Lucky One," the latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks love story, are each vying for the most audience affection this weekend, with opening grosses in the high teens.

"Think Like a Man" features an eclectic ensemble cast that brings to life intersecting tales of love and romance. In "The Lucky One," Zac Efron plays an Iraq war veteran who travels home to search for an unknown woman in a photo he found during combat.

Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games" may find itself in an unusual spot this weekend after a 28-day reign at the top of the domestic box office: No. 3. The film will likely draw a weekend gross in the low teens for a total of more than $350 million by Sunday night.

In their second weekend, Fox's updated spin on "The Three Stooges" and Lionsgate's R-rated horror entry "The Cabin in the Woods" will slap and scare each other respectively as they try to stay alive in the top five with grosses in the sub-$10 million range.

But first, the films will have to sink Paramount's 3-D treatment of "Titanic," which has continued to show amazing steam and could also be a top-five contender in its third weekend.

Disney Nature will bring its heartwarming documentary "Chimpanzee" to more than 1,500 theaters this weekend. The fourth in its series of "Earth Day" theatrical releases, the film should debut at around $7 million to $8 million.

Associated Press