This weekend offers a lot of options for moviegoers, with "Suicide Squad" going into its second week and three new titles entering the arena, namely "Florence Foster Jenkins," "Sausage Party," and "Pete's Dragon." But which one will grab the most viewers this weekend?
The first option is "Florence Foster Jenkins," based on the life of the real Florence Foster Jenkins (1912-1944). Portrayed by Meryl Streep, the heiress and socialite dreams of becoming an opera singer despite her lack of singing skills. The film also stars Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Nina Arianda, and is directed by Stephen Frears.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Florence Foster Jenkins" will be shown in around 1,500 theaters and is expected to earn somewhere between $5 million and $8 million. The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgestern calls Streep "remarkable" and the film, "a pleaser, for the most part."
The second newcomer this weekend is the R-rated animated film "Sausage Party," which is a computer-animated comedy that has food for characters. It starts with the food products in a grocery who are all dreaming of being chosen by shoppers. The sausage Frank discovers the horror of being brought home by a human and decides to warn his friends of the danger. Among the actors who voiced the characters are Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Edward Norton, Salma Hayek, and Jonah Hill. Paul Rudd stars as the grocery's manager.
Liz Braun of the Toronto Sun calls the film "impressive" because of its "sheer audacity." It will debut in 2,800 theaters and THR thinks it could rake in $15 million to $20 million.
The third in the list of films coming out this weekend is "Pete's Dragon," a remake of the 1977 fantasy adventure movie of the same title. It stars Bryce Dallas Howard as forest ranger Grace Meacham, Oakes Fegley as the orphan Pete, Robert Redford as Grace's father, and John Kassir as the voice of Elliott the Dragon. Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, and Oona Laurence are also part of the cast.
The story centers on Grace, who finds Pete and Elliott in the forest. Along with her father and Natalie (Laurence), she tries to discover the truth behind both Pete and the dragon while Gavin (Urban) tries to capture the mystical creature.
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says director David Lowery's "humanizing magic" makes Pete and the dragon's tale a "rare family film you really can take to heart." It will be shown in around 3,700 venues, and THR expects it to around $25 million during its opening.
"Suicide Squad" could still stay in the No. 1 and is predicted to rake in $47 million to $54 million this weekend.
