It’s going to be a close weekend at the box office this weekend — at least for second and third place.
While “The LEGO Movie” is expected to reel in audiences for the second week in a row, there’s a three way battle for the romantic film to see.
Here are the choices for the weekend:
1. Warner Bros.' poor-reviewed Colin Farrell love story “Winter’s Tale.”
2. Universal' remake of ‘80s film “Endless Love” that’s aimed at teens.
3. Sony’s romantic comedy with Kevin Hart, “About Last Night" (also a remake).
Then, there’s the “RoboCop” remake which has received mixed reception.
Weeks ago, we probably would have said “RoboCop” would have no problem drawing a huge audience this weekend. However, it looks like Hart could be the surprise winner for the weekend. Here’s why:
Kevin Hart has quietly been a break-out box office success since last year.
“Grudge Match” aside (he wasn’t the star in that), the comedian has been killing it at theaters. Take a look at the opening box office numbers for Hart’s last three movies.
| Movie | Studio | Opening | Worldwide | Budget |
| "Ride Along" | Universal | $41.5 million | $110.3 million | $25 million |
| "Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain" (stand-up) | Lionsgate/Summit | $10 million | $32.3 million | n/a |
| "Think Like A Man" | Sony Screen Gems | $33.6 million | $96.1 million | $12 million |
"Think Like A Man" outperformed beyond box-office expectations that a sequel to the film is out this June.
Regarding the stand-up film, "Let Me Explain" is the fourth highest-grossing comedy concert movie behind Richard Pryor's '82 film "Live on the Sunset Strip."
The reviews
"About Last Night" has remarkably better reviews than "Winter's Tale,""Endless Love," AND "RoboCop."
Via Rotten Tomatoes (critics/audience):
"About Last Night": 75%/83%
"RoboCop": 49%/67%
"Endless Love": 16%/68%
"Winter's Tale": 13%/49%
It's the film both women ... and men want to see
Thursday, Fandango released a survey of more than 1,000 ticket buyers asking which films men and women want to see for the holiday weekend.
Hart’s film is at the top of both lists. The only movie that beats it out for men is “RoboCop.”
TOP VALENTINE’S WEEKEND MOVIE PICKS FOR MEN
1. ROBOCOP
2. ABOUT LAST NIGHT
3. MONUMENTS MEN
4. LONE SURVIVOR
5. RIDE ALONG
FOR WOMEN:
1. ABOUT LAST NIGHT
2. ENDLESS LOVE
3. WINTER’S TALE
4. VAMPIRE ACADEMY
5. LABOR DAY
Ticket Sale Numbers
Wednesday morning, "About Last Night" was selling more tickets through Fandango than "RoboCop."
Here are the percentage of ticket sales for Wed. morning from Fandango:
"The LEGO Movie": 30%
"About Last Night": 22%
"RoboCop": 15%
As of Friday morning, Hart's comedy is crushing it.
"About Last Night": 28%
"The LEGO Movie": 27%
"Endless Love": 11%
"RoboCop": 11%
"Winter's Tale": 7%
Box office predictions for "RoboCop" and "About Last Night" this weekend are scattered so far.
Here are the four-day estimates from BoxOffice.com and BoxOfficeMojo:
"The Lego Movie": $43-$60 million
"RoboCop": $17.5-$28 million
"About Last Night": $26.5-$34.5 million
Thoughts: It makes sense for "About Last Night" to draw numbers closer to "Think Like A Man,” given the popularity of "Ride Along." $60 million seems a bit high for week two of "The LEGO Movie" since it opened to $69.1 million last week. $40 million is probably a more reasonable expectation.
SEE ALSO: Here is the number of LEGO bricks it took to make "The LEGO Movie"