Universal and Blumhouse Productions’ “Happy Death Day” earned $1 million at the Thursday box office, with showings starting at 7 p.m. in 2,450 theaters.
The film’s preview return is in line with what Blumhouse’s 2015 project, “The Visit,” earned, which went on to gross $25 million its opening weekend. However, the horror comedy starring Jessica Rothe in the lead is expected to open in the $18 million to $20 million range, opening this weekend from 3,130 screens. Universal projects a mid-teens opening.
Rothe plays a college student forced to relive the day of her murder over and over until she discovers who the killer is. Christopher B. Landon directed the film from a script by Scott Lobdell.
Blumhouse’s other recent hits include “Get Out,” which earned $1.8 million in previews and went on to earn $33 million its opening weekend, as well as “Split,” which grossed $2 million in late night showings and opened to a whopping $40 million weekend.
Also opening this weekend is STX’s “The Foreigner,” a revenge thriller starring Jackie Chan as a London businessman who hunts the terrorists who killed his daughter. On Thursday night, it grossed an estimated $775,000. Martin Campbell’s film, which also stars Pierce Brosnan, is projected for an opening in the $10-12 million range.
Finally, there is Open Road’s “Marshall,” a biopic starring Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall in one of the future Supreme Court Justice’s first legal cases.
Reginald Hudlin’s film — which also stars Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell — is projected to open at $3-4 million from 821 screens against a $12 million budget.