Those of you who joined me in predicting a win for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules last weekend found themselves victorious, as the kid-targeted sequel snagged the top spot at the box office away from the fanboys and Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch. This week finds some pretty tough competition entering the marketplace. From a wild, time-travel-ish thrill ride in Source Code, to the dark, grimy, sadistic world of real-life superheroes in Super, to a cute and cuddly animated tale about the Easter Bunny, there should be a little something for everyone to devour. Let’s take a look …
What’s The Scoop: Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier who unwillingly becomes part of a program that allows the military to send him into the body of a man about to die in a terrorist attack. The program allows the soldier to keep repeating the same 8-minute loop until he figures out who the bomber is.
Why It Might Win The Weekend: Well aside from it being pretty damn entertaining, you’ve got Jake Gyllenhaal and explosions. Is that not a recipe for number one at the box office?
What’s The Scoop: Think along the lines of The Santa Clause, but with Easter. E.B., the Easter Bunny’s teenage son, heads to Hollywood with big dreams, but gets hit by a car and is taken in by a human named Fred, who must nurse him back to health and … I guess they’ll be saving Easter at some point.
Why It Might Win The Weekend: This comes from the creators of Despicable Me, which was a really entertaining film for all ages. Plus, when do we ever get Easter Bunny animated movies? That should make this all the more appealing.
What’s The Scoop: Rainn Wilson stars in this dark (dark!) comedy about a troubled man who decides to become a costumed superhero after his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer.
Why It Might Win The Weekend: Those who like their superhero-themed movies a bit darker than the usual person will find plenty to love in this flick.
What’s The Scoop: The filmmaking team (James Wan, Leigh Whannell) behind the original Saw return to theaters in an attempt to creep you out with this flick about a family who tries to prevent an evil spirit from trapping their child in some other dimension.
Why It Might Win The Weekend: Horror fans will definitely want to see what Wan and Whannell put out, not just because they’re the creators of the Saw franchise, but because they have fun ideas. Not sure this has the legs to win the weekend, but it may do well with genre fans.
My Prediction: As much as I want to go with Source Code (because it really is the best film in theaters this weekend), I gotta stick with the kiddie flicks for one more week and go with Hop.
Now it’s your turn – which film you pick to win the weekend box office?
