Sony’s ‘Salt’ Looks to Mine $30M+ at the Box Office

Angelina Jolie spy thriller enjoys sprinkling of good reviews … and a little help from Anna Chapman

Maybe Sony officials have been throwing salt over their left shoulder.

The studio seems to have luck on its side as it prepares to release spy thriller “Salt” into about 3,400 theaters Friday.

Not only does it have top critics like Roger Ebert in its corner – he called it a “damn fine thriller” Thursday – but the action film starring Angelina Jolie as a CIA operative mis-identified as a Russian spy has had the headlines on its side, too.

(Our own Leah Rozen liked it, too; see: "'Salt.' Jolie. Action. Short. Good.")

“We probably got some help from Anna Chapman,” conceded one Sony official, referring to the real-life Russian beauty who was part of a spy ring rounded up by American authorities in June.

With only one other film opening wide this weekend – Fox tween film “Ramona and Beezus," starring former Disney Channel luminary “Selena Gomez – “Salt” will challenge Warner holdover “Inception” for the top domestic spot, with the Sony film predicted to gross well over $30 million.

Produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and co-financed by Relativity Media, “Salt” was shot on a production budget of around $100 million.

Marketing expenses weren’t miniscule, either, with Sony commencing its ubiquitous “Who Is Salt?” several months ahead of the film release.

Certainly, there will be competition between the Phillip Noyce-directed “Salt” and Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” both of which are PG-13-rated thrillers.

Set to pass the $100 million mark after just one week of domestic release, “Inception” is on pace for a second-weekend decline well below the standard 50 percent. The film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, premiered to $62.8 million last weekend.

Fox "Ramona and Beezus," meanwhile, is projected for a modest $6 million-$8 million start. The  G-rated family film is based on Beverly Cleary’s popular book series and tracks the adventures of a precocious grade-schooler.

John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, Josh Duhamel and Sandra Oh co-star.

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