By Chris Kavan - 04/21/16 at 07:38 AM CT
With The Jungle Book opening in near-record fashion, April is going to close out the month with some big numbers. This weekend, there is only one new film with a wide release, the Snow White prequel (without Snow White) The Huntsman: Winter's War. There are also three limited release films, all opening in under 400 theaters, but any of which could very well wind up in the top 10. I have a feeling Jungle Book will have no problem with retaining its top position even in the face of this new competition.
THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER'S WAR The first film in this series, Snow White and the Huntsman made a tidy $155.3 million in the U.S., including a $56 million opening. When a sequel was announced, it was assumed it would be a continuation of the tale, but thanks to a behind-the-scenes semi-scandal, Kristen Stewart was out and the film was retooled into a prequel following Chris Hemsworth instead. Charlize Theron is also back as the magic-mirror possessing Ravenna, while Emily Blunt is the ice queen Freya, who is made that way thanks to the death of her child (guess who is behind this!). Meanwhile, Jessica Chastain also joins the cast as a brother-in-arms in the army of Freya as she seeks revenge against Ravenna. Considering which sister is still alive during Snow White, I can see where this battle is going. Anyway, early reviews aren't being too kind and with The Jungle Book roaring to life and attracting audiences young and old, it's looking more and more like this film is going to be lucky to open to half of what Snow White did back in 2012. Granted, I'm not sure how you could have predicted just how appealing The Jungle Book was going to be, so it's not Universal's fault. Given it's the only new kid on the block might bring in a few more people, but I don't think it has a chance at taking the box office crown.
That's it - I'll see you back on Sunday to see how Winter's War stacks up and whether any of the smaller films can make an impact at the theater.
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