Tyler Perry’s “Acrimony” grossed $1 million at the Thursday previews, and is on its way to a $10 million opening weekend.
In comparison, Perry’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween” earned $855,000 in previews and went on to earn $28 million its opening weekend, while “Boo 2!” took in $760,000 on Thursday before opening to $21.2 million.
“Acrimony” stars Taraji P. Henson as a faithful wife who concocts a plan of vengeance after discovering that her husband (Lyriq Bent) has been unfaithful. It was produced for $20 million.
“Acrimony” is facing off against Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” this weekend, which got a head start on Wednesday and is looking at a four-day opening between $40 million and $55 million.
Based on the 2011 bestselling novel by Ernest Cline, “Ready Player One” is a film that aims to please, with a virtual world that promises endless escapism and loads of references to geek culture. It stars Olivia Cookie, Tye Sheridan, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Ben Mendelsohn and Simon Pegg. It has a CinemaScore of A- and has grossed $12 million so far.
“God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness” is the third film in the faith-based movie series from Pure Flix, with Michael Mason taking over as director from Harold Cronk. Starring Jennifer Taylor, John Corbett and Tatum O’Neal, the film is looking at a $5-6 million start and will go against “I Can Only Imagine,” which has been a hit with Christian audiences and is expected to add substantially this Easter weekend to its $39.5 million total.