All indications Friday were that “The Dark Knight Rises” would hold off “Total Recall” for a third consecutive weekend box office victory, but few realized how dominant its victory would be.
“TDKR” is still underperforming in comparison to predecessor “The Dark Knight,” let alone fellow summer release “The Avengers,” but its estimated $36 million weekend will be more than enough to top the lukewarm “Total Recall.”
The Colin Farrell-led remake, budgeted at $125 million, will earn about $26.5 million this weekend, according to estimates posted by Deadline. That marks a slight decline from Friday’s forecasts, which were eyeing an opening weekend in the $28 million range.
Third place will belong to “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days,” but the third film in that series is not performing particularly well. Now projected for a final weekend gross in the $14-15 million range, this edition of “Wimpy Kid” is a wimpy performer in comparison to the prior two films, which both grossed over $20 million in their openers.
“Ice Age: Continental Drift” and “The Watch” will likely round out the top five. “Ted” is not expected to crack the top five this week, but the hit comedy will cross the $200 million mark this weekend.
