Last week, “It” became horror’s biggest box office hit ever, making more than $123 million and on pace to blast into 2017’s top 10 highest domestic gross list. The scary Stephen King adaptation is also expected to stay in the No. 1 spot this weekend without any serious competition, even from another, far more disturbing film that’s coming out.
That would be Paramount’s “mother!,” the highly polarizing psychological thriller from Darren Aronofsky that has had critics buzzing since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The film currently has a 77 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews calling it a piece of audacious, extreme cinema. While “It” aims to provide fun scares with a sewer-dwelling, sharp-toothed clown, “mother!” aims to genuinely disturb its audience.
To protect that unnerving experience, Paramount has staged a very secretive marketing campaign featuring a bare-bones synopsis: “A couple’s relationship (Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem) is tested when uninvited guests (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer) arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.” Because of its intense material and opaque advertising, “mother!” isn’t built for the masses like “It.” Instead, it’s aiming for moviegoers looking for a more challenging and unexpected horror ride. Projections have the film earning an opening in between $12 million to $14 million from 2,369 locations, against a production budget of $30 million.
Also releasing this weekend is Lionsgate/CBS Films’ “American Assassin,” an action film based on the Mitch Rapp novel series by Vince Flynn, starring Dylan O’Brien (the “Maze Runner” series), Michael Keaton and Taylor Kitsch. Like “mother!”, it is also projected to earn a $12-14 million opening from more than 3,000 screens, with a similar budget of $33 million. Studio insiders tell TheWrap that a $14 million start would be considered a success for this film, as it would match the opening made by “John Wick” in 2014.
“mother!” is written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, with Scott Franklin and Ari Handel producing. “American Asssassin” is directed by Michael Cuesta and written by Stephen Schiff, Michael Finch, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Nick Wechsler are producing.
7 Biggest Fall Box Office Showdowns, Including 'Ninjago' vs 'Kingsman' (Photos)
"Thor: Ragnarok," "Justice League" and "Star Wars" will surely dominate the box office in the remaining months of 2017. But along with those would-be blockbusters are several smaller films competing for moviegoers' attention. Here are the seven head-to-head box office showdowns to look out for this fall.
Sept. 15: “mother!” vs. “American Assassin”: If its trailer and NSFW poster are any indication, Darren Aronofsky’s horror show looks like its going to be as terrifying and unforgiving a movie as one can expect. While critical acclaim could give it a boost, “American Assassin” has more crowd pleasing elements with “Teen Wolf” star Dylan O’Brien in the lead, and a story based on Vince Flynn’s best-selling Mitch Rapp novels.
Sept. 22: "The Lego Ninjago Movie" vs. "Kingsman the Golden Circle": Like its "Lego Movie" predecessors, "Ninjago" should be a big draw for family audiences who haven't had a major film for them since "Despicable Me 3" and "The Emoji Movie." Facing it is the R-rated "Kingsman" sequel, which will aim to turn the cult following its predecessor earned into a strong opening.
Sept. 29:"Flatliners" vs. "American Made": After starring in the critically maligned "Mummy" remake this summer, Tom Cruise will star in "American Made," which tells the true story of an an airline pilot who becomes a drug smuggler and later a DEA informant. Facing it will be Columbia's "Flatliners," a sequel to the 1990 cult hit about experiments that induce near-death experiences.
Oct. 20: "Only the Brave" vs. "Geostorm" vs. "The Snowman" vs. "Boo! 2": A quartet of wild card releases hit theaters in the third weekend of October. The one that has the best shot of a strong opening is "Boo! 2," the latest film in Tyler Perry's popular "Madea" series. The first "Boo!" made $28.5 million in its opening weekend.
Oct. 27: "Jigsaw" vs. "Suburbicon": It was only a matter of time before the "Saw" franchise came back to play another game, but after "It," "mother!" and "Happy Death Day" hit theaters, will audiences come back for a fourth helping from an old franchise on Halloween weekend? Against it is Oscar contender "Suburbicon," which features -- get ready -- George Clooney directing Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac from a script co-written by the Coen Brothers.
Nov. 10: "Daddy's Home 2" vs. "Murder on Orient Express" vs. "Thor: Ragnarok": After posting the worst box office performance of his career with "The House," Will Ferrell will try to do better with a sequel to his 2015 collab with Mark Wahlberg. Kenneth Branagh's star-studded adaptation of Agatha Christie's famous murder mystery novel will also release this weekend, but both could fall to "Thor: Ragnarok," which will be in its second weekend.
Dec. 22: Christmas Releases: Let's be real. All of these holiday weekend releases will be fighting for whatever scraps of moviegoers "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" leaves behind. But "Pitch Perfect 3," the final installment in Kay Cannon's hit musical comedy, has a real shot at a solid opening. Other movies in this group include an adaptation of the TV series "The Six Billion Dollar Man" and Oscar contender "Downsizing," which stars Matt Damon as a man who joins a growing group of people who shrink themselves and join miniature communities.
We know ”Thor: Ragnarok“ will dominate when it opens in November, but here are the most competitive weekends to watch
"Thor: Ragnarok," "Justice League" and "Star Wars" will surely dominate the box office in the remaining months of 2017. But along with those would-be blockbusters are several smaller films competing for moviegoers' attention. Here are the seven head-to-head box office showdowns to look out for this fall.
