Jack English/Lionsgate

Lionsgate’s submarine movie “Hunter Killer,” which is being released through its Summit Entertainment label, earned $420,000 in Thursday previews from 2,200 screens. It will open on 2,728 screens this weekend.

The Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman-led thriller face off against “Halloween” as it moves into its second weekend, which should dominate through Oct. 31. “Hunter Killer” is projected for a $6-8 million opening behind a 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Comparisons aren’t easy for “Hunter Killer” considering that it’s going up against “Halloween.” But Gerard Butler’s “Geostorm,” which opened this time last year and skipped Thursday previews, ended up earning only $13.7 million in its opening weekend against a $120 million budget. Butler’s “Den of Thieves” opened in January of this year and took in $950,000 in previews leading up to a $15 million open.

Also Read: 'Halloween' Is a Hit, But How Big Will It Be Outside America?

The last major release set aboard a submarine, 2015’s “Black Sea” which starred Jude Law, made only $1.1 million in its entire run. The film also compares similarly to another acquisition by Millennium from 2016, “Mechanic: Resurrection,” which earned $390,000 in previews.

Also expanding wider this weekend is A24’s “Mid90s.” The directorial debut for Jonah Hill is expanding to 1,206 screens and earned $249,500 for an average of $62,375 on just four screens in its opening weekend, marking a big indie box office debut.

In a targeted release this weekend are the British import “Johnny English Strikes Again” and the faith-based war film “Indivisible.” “Johnny English Strikes Again” is the third installment in the spy comedy series starring Rowan Atkinson. Universal is distributing the film, which has already made $97.6 million overseas including $14.9 million in the U.K. As the film holds most of its interest internationally, it’s only expected to make around $2 million from 500 screens.

Also Read: 'Hunter Killer' Film Review: Gerard Butler Stalks Around a Submarine in Passable Thriller

“Indivisible” is released by Pure Flix and tells the true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his struggle to save his marriage and help his fellow soldiers after his deployment to Iraq. Directed by David G. Evans, the film is projected for a $2-4 million opening on 830 screens.

'A Star Is Born' vs 'Venom' and 5 More of Fall's 6 Biggest Box Office Showdowns (Photos)

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Aquaman” and “Mary Poppins Returns” are expected to dominate the box office this fall. But there are other films vying for moviegoers' attention -- ones that are set to debut to some steep competition. Here are six head-to-head box office showdowns to look out for this fall.
MGM/Disney/Paramount/Twentieth Century Fox
Oct. 5: "A Star Is Born" vs. "Venom"

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga facing off against a superhero entry is going to be an interesting battle -- while the former is an indie with A-list stars atop the bill, the latter is a highly-anticipated comic book character debut from a major studio.
MGM/Sony
Oct. 12: "First Man" vs. "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween"

Everyone is anticipating Damien Chazelle’s followup to “La La Land,” especially now that film that puts Ryan Gosling in space is generating early buzz. “Goosebumps,” of course, is already an established franchise based on the children’s book series of the same name by R.L. Stine. The first film, which was released in 2015, had a $23 million opening.
DreamWorks/Columbia Pictures Corporation
Nov. 2: "Bohemian Rhapsody" vs. "Nobody’s Fool" vs. "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms"

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is quickly shaping up to be many people’s most anticipated fall movie, as it chronicles the life of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (played by Rami Malek). The film hit some road bumps when Sacha Baron Cohen, originally cast as Mercury, exited the project. Director Joss Whedon also departed the rocker biopic. Now, it's set to face off against Disney’s big-budget film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” along with Tyler Perry’s “Nobody’s Fool.”
New Regency/Paramount Players/Disney
Nov. 9: "Overlord" vs. "The Girl in the Spider’s Web" vs. "The Grinch"

“The Girl in the Spider’s Web” is a long-awaited sequel to “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” which starred Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. That one grossed $232 million at the global box office. Claire Foy is taking over seven years later. But fans love their “Grinch” (2000's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" earned $345.1 million worldwide) and J.J. Abrams has established a “Cloverfield” fandom as well (although he has said “Overlord” is not part of the “Cloverfield” franchise). "Cloverfield" and "10 Cloverfield Lane" earned $170.8 million and $110.2 million worldwide, respectively.
Paramount/Universal/MGM
Nov. 22: "Creed II" vs. "Ralph Breaks the Internet"

"Creed" came out punching at the box office in 2015, earning $173 million worldwide. So, naturally, the sequel could prove a worthy adversary for "Ralph Breaks the Internet." Its predecessor, "Wreck-It Ralph" grossed $471 million globally, and was nominated for an Oscar.
MGM/Disney
Dec. 21: "Aquaman" vs. "Bumblebee" vs. "Alita: Battle Angel"

“Aquaman” has the backing of extremely devout DC fans, but “Bumblebee” will attract “Transformers” fans, who have brought the whole franchise up to $1.4 billion domestically. Both films are set to make some serious cash. “Alita: Battle Angel” is based on Yukito’s Kishiro’s manga “Battle Angel Alita,” is produced by James Cameron, and has a stellar cast.
Warner Bros./Paramount/Twentieth Century Fox

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Fall Movie Preview 2018: These 15 films have a tough battle to box office glory

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Aquaman” and “Mary Poppins Returns” are expected to dominate the box office this fall. But there are other films vying for moviegoers' attention -- ones that are set to debut to some steep competition. Here are six head-to-head box office showdowns to look out for this fall.

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