"Tomorrowland," the pricey Disney sci-fi epic directed by Brad Bird, will take on a remake of the creepy horror classic "Poltergeist" from Fox and MGM and the Barden Bellas of "Pitch Perfect 2" in what could be a close race at the long Memorial Day weekend at the box office.
George Clooney and Hugh Laurie (TV's "House") star in "Tomorrowland," but it's Britt Robertson who audiences may leave talking about. She has a role with breakout potential in the sprawling tale of a former boy genius inventor and a curious teen on the trail of some of life's greatest mysteries.
Disney kept the storyline and plot of the $150 million "Tomorrowland, written by Damon Lindelof ("Star Trek Into Darkeness") and Bird, under wraps for months and it's only in the past few weeks that trailers have shed more light. That strategy could either stoke interest or leave potential moviegoers nonplussed, but Exhibitor Relations senior analyst Jeff Bock doesn't see that as the major factor.
"The Disney brand and the fact that it's a PG-rated family film should be enough to get it to around $45 million or $50 million over the four days," he said. That's about what another title based on a Disney ride, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl," debuted with in 2003.
"It's not going to open like 'Pirates 2' ($135 million on July 4 weekend in 2006), but it won't be 'The Haunted Mansion' or 'Country Bear Jamboree,' either," he said.
If it does hit that mark it will probably win the weekend. "Poltergeist," a redo of the creepy 33-year-old classic starring Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt and Jared Harris, is projected to land in the $25 million range for the four days.
The reviews for "Tomorrowland" are just OK, registering 59 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes. On social media, it's well behind "Interstellar," another original sci-fi saga, which opened to $47 million in November for Paramount. It will be in around 3,800 theaters.
