Weekend Forecast: 'The Equalizer' & 'The Boxtrolls'

Featured Stories - on September 24, 2014 by BoxOffice Staff

sep26.pngSeptember closes out with two films aiming for completely different audiences: The Equalizer and The Boxtrolls.

The Equalizer

PROS:

- Denzel Washington has proven himself one of the most consistently bankable actors of his generation.
- The thriller concept and reuniting with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua adds to increased interest.
- Buzz for the film has been resoundingly positive for months, as evidenced by strong Flixster anticipation numbers.

CONS:

- Somewhat surprisingly, Twitter and Facebook buzz haven't lived up to expectations and significantly trail that of Lucy.
- Opening as the third thriller in as many weeks could soften rush-out demand.
- Are some audiences waiting for David Fincher's Gone Girl next week? 

The Boxtrolls

PROS:

- Laika Animation has a solid history of success with films like Coraline and ParaNorman.
- Flixster and Twitter activity are noticeably ahead of Dolphin Tale 2, Planes: Fire & Rescue, and ParaNorman.
- The family market hasn't seen a significant hit, let alone one in the animation genre, since mid-summer.

CONS:

- Stop-motion animation rarely catches fire at the box office as today's kids are more accustomed to CGI.
- Facebook buzz has lacked ahead of release.
- After a number of animated releases over the past year, families may still be holding out for the holiday season before showing up at theaters again.

Check out our complete weekend forecast in the table below.

Title Release Date Distributor Weekend Domestic Total through Sunday, Sep. 28
The Equalizer Sep 26, 2014 Sony / Columbia
 $35,000,000 $35,000,000
The Maze Runner Sep 19, 2014 Fox
 $17,000,000 $57,000,000
The Boxtrolls Sep 26, 2014 Focus
 $14,000,000 $14,000,000
This Is Where I Leave You Sep 19, 2014 Warner Bros.
 $6,000,000 $21,200,000
A Walk Among the Tombstones Sep 19, 2014 Universal
 $5,800,000 $22,400,000
Dolphin Tale 2 Sep 12, 2014 Warner Bros.
 $5,100,000 $33,300,000
No Good Deed (2014) Sep 12, 2014 Sony / Screen Gems
 $4,100,000 $46,000,000
Guardians of the Galaxy Aug 1, 2014 Disney
 $3,400,000 $318,600,000
Let's Be Cops Aug 13, 2014 Fox
 $1,600,000 $79,700,000
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Aug 8, 2014 Paramount
 $1,500,000 $187,100,000

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

Tags: predictions, The Equalizer, The Boxtrolls

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