Pompeii

Pompeii

Black smoke rose into the sky as blistering liquid bubbled over the erupting mountain. Lava poured through the town, destroying everything, burying it in ash. Looking at box-office predictions, Pompeii’s opening weekend will end quite the same.

With the Lego movie doing so well these past two weeks, it is poised to stay at No.1 this weekend. Pompeii is expected to open just short of $15 million, which is a bleak start considering the movie’s $100 million-plus budget. Producers are hopeful that the historical plot will be resilient internationally, where it will open in over 30 markets.

Set in 79 A.D., Pompeii narrates the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed the famous Roman city. The main character Milo, a slave-turned-gladiator, finds himself racing against time to save his true love, who has been engaged to a immoral Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as the city of Pompeii crumbles around him. The movie stars Kit Harington, Emily Browning, and Kiefer Sutherland, as it’s main cast.

The weekend’s second opening film is 3 Days to Kill, a spy action-thriller starring Kevin Costner. The $28 million film will open on February 21^st. It is being predicted that 3 Days to Kill will debut in the $11 million to $13 million range, which is very similar to Pompeii, however, 3 Days to Kill cost much less to produce.

3 Days to Kill will star Kevin Costner as an international spy hoping to give up his daring lifestyle to restore his relationships with his daughter and his wife. But to do that, he must complete one last mission. The movie will also star Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld and Connie Nielsen.

The Lego Movie could earn as much as $30 million or $40 million in it’s third weekend, destroying Pompeii’s and 3 Days to Kill’s opportunity to make a name for themselves at the box office. I guess this just proves that sometimes, kid movies can beat out big action thrillers. Better luck next time!