Deadline:
The Conjuring 2 eyeing $33M-$35M, Warcraft potentially slotting second place with $31M
2ND UPDATE, Friday 12:12 PM: Don’t underestimate the power of Universal-Legendary’s $160M beast Warcraft. The movie adaptation of the Blizzard Entertainment video game franchise is coming on strong in its matinees, potentially slotting second place with $31M for the weekend behind Warner Bros./New Line’s The Conjuring 2, which is eyeing $33M-$35M. Heading into the weekend, the assessment was that interest in Warcraft had waned among its fan base, which peaked back in 2010 with more than 12M subscribers. That figure has settled to 5.6M. Yet one studio executive says that out of this weekend’s three wide entries, Warcraft is the title with the most fan engagement and brand value. ComScore’s PostTrak observed in its early polls that 31% of those who watched Warcraft identified themselves as serious gamers. Guys are crowding showtimes at 72%. I now hear that the appropriate break-even for Warcraft given its P&A of $110M and $160M production cost is around $500M at the global B.O., not $400M or $450M. Foreign sources think China ultimately could cash in $200M-$250M by the end of its run. Through Sunday, the total international B.O. for the Duncan Jones-helmed movie should stand at $250M-$270M.