After setting the new record for the biggest opening weekend of all time, the next two weekends will bring almost no competition for “Avengers: Infinity War.” On Friday, it is expected to become the fastest film ever to gross $1 billion worldwide, and it could reach the $1.5 billion made by the first “Avengers” when it gets released in China a week later.
As for this weekend, the film could also set a new record for the best domestic second weekend in box office history, though it may be a challenge. Three years ago, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” made an enormous $149 million in its second weekend, down just 40 percent from its then-record $247.9 million opening. That huge haul was in part due to Christmas falling on a Friday that year, making the first “Star Wars” film in a decade an enticing way for families to spend the holiday weekend.
We’ll see how much of a grip Thanos has on the hearts of Marvel fans in spite of the shocker ending of “Infinity War.” To break the second weekend record, “Avengers” will need to keep its drop-off below 45 percent. Three months ago, “Black Panther,” which opened to $201 million, had the second-best second weekend of all time with $111.6 million, a 45 percent drop. “Avengers” is expected to beat that amount with a second-weekend total of at least $115 million.
Meanwhile, as studios limit their screen counts in Marvel’s wake none of this weekend’s new releases are expected to score an opening of more than $15 million. Foremost among them is MGM/Pantelion’s remake of the 80s romantic comedy “Overboard.” The film is looking at a targeted release of around 1,600 screens with an opening of $11-13 million against a low-teens production budget. That would be in the same range as lead star Eugenio Derbez’s last film, “How to Be A Latin Lover,” which opened to $12.2 million.
Directed by Rob Greenberg, “Overboard” stars Derbez as Leonardo, a spoiled billionaire who mistreats Kate (Anna Faris), the single mother hired to clean his yacht. When Leonardo accidentally falls overboard, he suffers amnesia and is taken in by Kate as part of a scheme to get back at him. Forced into Kate’s working class struggles, Leonardo is miserable at first but eventually develops a sense of work ethic…and much more.
Also coming out in 1,300 screens this weekend is Focus Features’ “Tully,” the latest film from the director-writer team that made “Juno,” Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody. The film reunites Cody and Reitman with Charlize Theron who stars as Marlo, an overworked mother of three who gets an unexpected gift from her brother: a night nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis). At first hesistant, Marlo soon develops a deep relationship with Tully that challenges her notions of motherhood. The film has received rave reviews from critics with a 95 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.