“Ouija” spirited away with $911,000 at 2,061 theaters on Thursday night.
Universal’s board game-based film is expected to bring in $20 million at the box office this weekend, according to analysts. It will likely unseat Brad Pitt‘s WWII action film “Fury” from the number one spot.
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“John Wick” grossed an estimated $870,000 in over 2,000 locations on Thursday. Lionsgate’s thriller is predicted to open just under $10 million and the Weinstein Company’s “St. Vincent” starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy should score a similar take after a nationwide expansion into 2000 theaters.
“Ouija” may win the weekend, but it didn’t win over the critics, scoring only a 10 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But even without their support, the film is likely looking to triple its $5 million production budget in its first three days.
The cast of the low-budget film features several young TV stars including Daren Kagasoff (“Secret Life of an American Teenager”), Bianca Santos (“The Fosters”), Douglas Smith (“Big Love”), Olivia Cooke (“Bates Motel”), along with Ana Coto. Stiles White (“The Possession”) directs, and co-wrote with Juliet Snowden.
Also read: How Universal Took ‘Ouija’ From Risky Blockbuster to Likely Low-Budget Hit
Keanu Reeves appears to have finally charmed critics as John Wick, the R-rated film earned a stunning 93 percent fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. The story follows a hitman who comes out of retirement when gangsters kill his dog. Former stunt man David Leitch and Chad Stahelski direct.
The cast includes Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, Michael Nyqvist, Bridgete Moynahan, John Leguizamo and Ian McShane. Thunder Road Pictures, MJW Films and Summit Entertainment teamed on the film, which is produced by Basil Iwanyk (“The Expendables”) and Mike Witherill.