Aaron Paul’s hot car movie, “Need for Speed,” took the pole position at the box office Friday, but “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is a good bet to pass it for No. 1 this weekend.
DreamWorks’ 3D video game-based action film led with $6.6 million on its first day, which puts it on pace for a three-day total of around $18 million. That’s well under the $25 million analysts and distributor Disney had projected — despite “Speed” being in 3,115 theaters, 90 percent of which were 3D.
Gamers likely powered “Need for Speed” to a solid $1.1 million in Thursday night screenings, but the soft Friday suggests it’s having a tough time connecting with moviegoers beyond its core audience despite the presence of Paul, a former star on the hit TV show “Breaking Bad.”