The next installment in that high-octane franchise, The Fate of the Furious, doesn’t hit theaters until April 14, but this weekend, moviegoers will have three new films arriving in wide release, Sony’s animated adventure Smurfs: The Lost Village, Warner Bros.’ comedy remake Going In Style and PureFlix’s The Case For Christ.
If this projection is accurate, this opening weekend projection for Smurfs: The Lost Village will fall directly between the debuts of its predecessors.
We’re predicting that Smurfs: The Lost Village will make it a slightly close race, opening with $22.4 million in third place behind The Boss Baby and Beauty and the Beast ($23.5 million).
Box Office Mojo reports that Smurfs: The Lost Village, which marks the franchise’s return to fully animated movies, instead of live-action/CGI hybrids, is expected to open in roughly 3,400 theaters, with Going in Style estimated to open in 3,000 theaters, while The Case for Christ is believed to debut in 1,100 theaters.