Moviegoers can't ignore elephant in theaters
By Carl DiOrio
LAS VEGAS (Hollywood Reporter) - "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" will be big. The only question is how big.
Most industry officials expect Fox's computer-animated family film, featuring a voice cast led by Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, to ring up ticket sales of at least $40 million, possibly more than $50 million during its first three days in theaters across the United States and Canada.
Serving as points of comparison, Universal debuted "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" in November 2000 to $55.1 million, and "Dr. Seuss' the Cat in the Hat" three years later to $38.3 million. Whether a March bow can muster the box office muscle of a holiday release remains to be seen.
Carrey voices Horton, a rubbery elephant who stumbles upon a speck that happens to be a tiny planet, home to a city called Who-ville. Carell voices the excitable mayor.
Last weekend's champ, the Warner Bros. prehistoric adventure "10,000 BC," will slip to No. 2 with sales in the $18 million range -- assuming a conservative 50% drop from its opening round.
Two other films will open on Friday. The action thriller "Doomsday" would do well to reach double-digit millions. And the mixed martial arts release "Never Back Down" likely will fall just short of that range.
"Doomsday," produced by Universal Pictures' Rogue Films genre unit for an estimated $19 million, stars Bob Hoskins and Rhona Mitra in the story of a country torn apart by a brutal government quarantine over a killer virus. As a bonus for moviegoers, the film will be preceded by the new trailer for Universal's June 13 film "The Incredible Hulk."
"Never Back Down," a $20 million-plus film from production firm Summit Entertainment, targets the high school and college crowd. Sean Faris plays a misfit maturing under the guidance of a wise martial arts instructor, played by Djimon Hounsou.
Among several limited releases, Warner Independent unspools the horror movie "Funny Games" in 289 locations, while Overture has the domestic drama "Sleepwalking" in 25 venues.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
