Last week's box office champ, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, will have to fight off four new films opening this weekend. The Help, which got a jump on the competition with a Wednesday release and strong critical and audience feedback looks to be the dark horse here, but horror flick Final Destination 5, crime comedy 30 Minutes or Less and the Glee 3D Concert Movie also look to take down the Apes. Let's take a closer look…
The Help
What's the Scoop: Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer star in the movie adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's 2009 hit novel about three women about to take an extraordinary step in life.
Why It Might Win the Weekend: Riding a wave of positive buzz, the movie has grossed $10 million so far before the weekend has even begun. Following Wednesday screenings, audience gave the movie a rare A+ Cinemascore rating.
30 Minutes or Less
What's the Scoop: Two fledgling criminals (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) kidnap a pizza delivery boy (Jesse Eisenberg), strap a bomb to his chest and tell him he has a limited number of hours to rob a bank. Add in Aziz Ansari and you've got an action comedy, pardon the pun, set to explode.
Why It Might Win the Weekend: It's got pretty well-known actors with Eisenberg and McBride, it's directed by Ruben Fleischer, the talented creator of Zombieland, and there is a lack of great comedies in theaters, so audiences might flock to this flick for some laughs.
Final Destination 5
What's the Scoop: The fifth entry into the Final Destination franchise finds a group of survivors learning they can't cheat death. Yes, that's the premise of every Final Destination movie. This time the focus is on the survivors of a suspension bridge collapse. Cue the gruesome death scenes…
Why It Might Win the Weekend: Horror fans always turn out for major releases and this franchise has heaps of loyal fans. The combination of the familiar storyline and gory death scenes could propel FD5 to the top of the box office heap.
Glee The 3D Concert Movie
What's the Scoop: The popular FOX TV series gets a big screen 3D treatment filled with singing, dancing and behind the scenes footage.
Why It Might Win the Weekend: Glee could be this weekend's version of The Smurfs – a movie that everybody mocked and left for dead but somehow ended up raking in a ton of money.
My Prediction: While there is plenty of competition for the top spot, the buzz is still strong with Rise of the Planet of the Apes and early estimates have the movie pulling in another $30 million this weekend. Final Destination 5 may be the only movie of the four that might give Apes a run for its money, but only because it's opening on the largest number of screens.
Pick of the Week: If you haven't seen Rise of the Planet of the Apes yet, definitely put that film on your weekend bucket list. Crazy, Stupid, Love is also worth checking out, although the great thing about this weekend is that there's a movie genre for everyone to enjoy.
Now it's your turn. Who do you think will come out on top this weekend? Vote in our poll below and feel free to expand on your thoughts in the comments section.
