Long Range Forecast: 'The Butler', 'jOBS', 'Kick-Ass 2', & 'Paranoia'

Featured Stories - on June 21, 2013 by BOXOFFICE Staff

aug16.pngFour new titles have been added to our Long Range Forecast this week. The Butler, jOBS, Kick-Ass 2, and Paranoia are currently scheduled to open in wide release on Friday, August 16.

The Butler

PROS:

- The large ensemble cast.
- Historical dramas like 42, Lincoln, and The Help have been on a hot streak lately.
- A biographical drama could be just what adult audiences are looking for after a blockbuster-packed summer.

CONS:

- Not all historical dramas hit the box office sweet spot.
- Won't have Oscar season to boost receipts, ala Lincoln and Lee Daniels' own Precious. 
- Movie fans are already mocking the stunt casting of presidents in the film. John Cusack as Richard Nixon?!?! 

jOBS

PROS:

- The widely known cultural impact of Steve Jobs.
- Ashton Kutcher's appeal with young adult audiences. 

CONS:

- The film's release delay to a busier month gives the impression of it being dumped.
- Kutcher is far from a reliable box office draw.
- Fans of Jobs and Apple may be more inclined to wait for the forthcoming biopic being pinned by Aaron Sorkin.  

Kick-Ass 2

PROS:

- The first film found a large audience on the home video market.
- Adding Jim Carrey to the cast could bring a few more of the uninitiated.
- Given the performance of the first film, it wouldn't take that much for the franchise to build upon its earlier audience, ala Hellboy II. 

CONS:

- The first film was only a modest box office success.
- Jim Carrey, as evidenced by The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, isn't the draw he used to be.
- The crowded market. 

Paranoia

PROS:

- A fairly strong ensemble led by Liam Hemsworth, Harrison Ford, and Gary Oldman. 
- Hemsworth is more recognizable thanks to The Hunger Games.  

CONS:

- The crowded market.
- Tech thrillers tend to fail at the box office. Anybody remember Antitrust? We didn't think so.  

Notable changes on our forecast this week include The Wolverine (up), We're The Millers (down on opening weekend, up on cume). 

Check out our predictions for these and other upcoming films in the table below.

 

Title Release Date Distributor Opening Weekend Cumulative
Jobs Aug 16, 2013 Open Road
 $10,000,000 $28,000,000
The Butler Aug 16, 2013 Weinstein Company
 $17,000,000 $68,000,000
Paranoia Aug 16, 2013 Relativity Media
 $11,000,000 $32,000,000
Kick-Ass 2 Aug 16, 2013 Universal
 $25,000,000 $58,000,000
Planes Aug 9, 2013 Disney
 $17,000,000 $70,000,000
Elysium Aug 9, 2013 Sony / Columbia
 $30,000,000 $90,000,000
We're the Millers Aug 7, 2013 Warner Bros. / New Line
 $22,000,000 $83,000,000
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Aug 7, 2013 Fox
 $20,000,000 $77,000,000
2 Guns Aug 2, 2013 Universal
 $43,000,000 $127,000,000
The Smurfs 2 Jul 31, 2013 Sony / Columbia
 $26,000,000 $100,000,000
The Wolverine Jul 26, 2013 Fox
 $65,000,000 $160,000,000
The Conjuring Jul 19, 2013 Warner Bros. / New Line
 $23,000,000 $65,000,000
Red 2 Jul 19, 2013 Lionsgate / Summit
 $22,000,000 $71,000,000
R.I.P.D. Jul 19, 2013 Universal
 $12,000,000 $30,000,000
Turbo Jul 17, 2013 Fox / DreamWorks Animation
 $21,000,000 $80,000,000
Grown Ups 2 Jul 12, 2013 Sony / Columbia
 $40,000,000 $128,000,000
Pacific Rim Jul 12, 2013 Warner Bros.
 $55,000,000 $185,000,000
Despicable Me 2 Jul 3, 2013 Universal
 $76,000,000* $353,000,000
The Lone Ranger Jul 3, 2013 Disney
 $35,000,000* $135,000,000
White House Down Jun 28, 2013 Sony / Columbia
 $34,000,000 $110,000,000
The Heat Jun 28, 2013 Fox
 $35,000,000 $140,000,000

* = 3-day weekend (Fri-Sun)

Phil Contrino, Daniel Garris, Alex Edghill, and Shawn Robbins contributed to this report.

Tags: The Butler, jOBS, Kick-Ass 2, Paranoia

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