'Hail, Caesar!' Conquers $543,000 at Thursday Box Office

“Hail, Caesar!” conquered $543,000 from 1,815 theaters screening previews of the George Clooney movie on Thursday night.

The Coen Brothers film, boasting a stellar cast including Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes and Jonah Hill, had a budget of $22 million and was tracking in the low teens heading into the weekend. It’s the best reviewed new release, with a 78 percent “fresh” approval rating from critics counted on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Hail, Caesar!” chronicles the chaos that arises at a movie studio in the Golden Age of Hollywood after the town’s biggest star (Clooney) is kidnapped during a major production.

Also Read: Can George Clooney's 'Hail, Caesar!' Conquer 'Kung Fu Panda 3?'

Sony’s “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” slashed its way to $300,000 at the previews.. The horror movie based on the book of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith, who parodied Jane Austen‘s famous novel, cost the studio $28 million to produce, and is expected to bring in $8 million for the weekend.

Lily James (“Cinderella”) takes the lead alongside supporting actors Sam Riley, Bella Heathcote, Sally Phillips, Suki Waterhouse and Charles Dance. Critical reception has not been favorable, though, as it stands with a mere 43 percent approval rating from critics counted on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nicholas Sparks‘ latest on-screen adaptation, “The Choice” will offer a box office alternative to the Super Bowl this weekend, as well, and grossed $290,000 at the Thursday night previews.

Also Read: 'Hail, Caesar!' Review Roundup: Critics Hail Coens' Comedy as 'Playful Romp' and 'Sly Satire'

Starring Teresa Palmer and Benjamin Walker in the lead roles of the romantic movie, the film was tracking to mid-to-upper single-digit millions heading into the weekend, based on a $10 million budget. This is Sparks’ 11th film adaptation of his famous tear-jerker novels, currently holding a meager score of 9 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Kung Fu Panda 3,” DreamWorks’ latest installment in the franchise, is looking to make somewhere in the $20 million range in its second weekend at the box office after having grossed $41 million during its debut.

However, the true winner of this weekend will be the Super Bowl, which is looking to crush both the newcomers and “Kung Fu Panda 3” in box office revenue.

Also Read: 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' Review: Jane Austen Heroines Battle Undead in Dumbed-Down Spoof

Come Sunday, most movies will be impacted by the NFL championship game, in which the Carolina Panthers face the Denver Broncos. “Hail, Caesar!” is looking to win at the Friday night box office, while “Kung Fu Panda 3” will regain the throne on Saturday — until kickoff at 3:30 p.m. PST.

“It’s about getting the biggest bang for their buck before the Super Bowl kicks in,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at comScore, had told TheWrap on Tuesday.

The Ultimate Anti-Super Bowl Viewing Guide: 7 Other Things to Watch While the Big Game Is on (Photos)

Maybe you just don't have any interest in macho guys playing football, maybe you're absolutely crazy about cute critters, maybe you're a Cardinals fan still bitter about the Panthers ripping your team apart ... no matter what the reason, there actually are some people who just don't have any interest in the Super Bowl. For that small group of outsiders, here's what some channels not fortunate enough to be CBS have lined up for you.
NFL
"Puppy Bowl XII"
Animal Planet, 2:30 p.m. ET
The most famous of the annual Super Bowl counter-programming specials, the Puppy Bowl, is back with a rematch of last year's duel between Team Ruff and Team Fluff. As always, all the puppies that run around on the field are from rescue shelters and are up for adoption.
Animal Planet
"Kitten Bowl III"
Hallmark Channel, noon ET
While kittens get relegated to halftime show duty at the Puppy Bowl, the Hallmark Channel is going to let them take the field. CBS football analyst Boomer Esiason will make a special appearance to introduce felines that have been given gloriously pun-derful names like John Hairball and Ben Roethlis-purrger.
Hallmark Channel
"Fish Bowl XXL"
NatGeo Wild, 6 p.m. ET
And here's where the animal parodies get really weird. NatGeo Wild is presenting its third year of aquatic gridiron action. This year, the show's star, Goldie the Goldfish, is getting dropped into a 50-gallon tank against the toughest competition known to marine biology ... and there's a shark in the water.

NatGeo Wild
"30 for 30"
ESPN, 7 p.m. ET
ESPN needs something to air to kill time until everyone tunes in for the postgame show, so during the Super Bowl they will be showing two documentaries about major sports stories from across the Atlantic. First is "The 16th Man," which tells the story of the 1995 Rugby World Cup hosted and won by South Africa at the dawn of Nelson Mandela's presidency. Next is the much bleaker "Hillsborough," which recounts a 1989 FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in which poor organization of the stadium's capacity led to a human crush that killed 96 people.
ESPN
"Pitch Perfect"
NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET
After another strong year of football coverage, NBC is turning to a newly-minted cult film to counter the big game. The Anna Kendrick-led a capella comedy was a sleeper hit in 2012 and spawned a sequel that became the highest-grossing musical comedy of all time.
Universal
"The Walking Dead" Marathon
AMC, All Day
If you've ever been intrigued in AMC's unkillable cash cow but never had the chance to binge watch it, Super Bowl Sunday is your chance. This "TWD" marathon will cover the series' first two seasons, giving longtime holdouts a chance to catch up from the beginning.
AMC
"Downton Abbey"
PBS, 9 p.m. ET
Lastly, there's the big one. With the American premiere of the show's series finale just three weeks away, PBS isn't afraid to take on the Super Bowl with the biggest smash hit it has ever aired. They will air a new episode on the east coast around the same time the Panthers and Broncos will be heading into the fourth quarter. If the game is close, some viewers will have to make a choice: do you want to see the big finish, or do you want to see if the Dowager Countess is going to blow her lid?
PBS

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For anyone not interested in football, there are animal parodies, reruns, and a certain smash British drama to watch this Sunday

Maybe you just don't have any interest in macho guys playing football, maybe you're absolutely crazy about cute critters, maybe you're a Cardinals fan still bitter about the Panthers ripping your team apart ... no matter what the reason, there actually are some people who just don't have any interest in the Super Bowl. For that small group of outsiders, here's what some channels not fortunate enough to be CBS have lined up for you.

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