Box Office Preview: ‘Girl On The Train’ Eyeing $27M Debut

According to early estimates, the weekend’s newcomer The Girl on the Train is expected to take in $27 million over the weekend, while The Birth of a Nation should finish with $8 million.

DreamWorks Pictures’ Girl on the Train – starring Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez and Lisa Kudrow – is based on Paula Hawkin’s bestselling novel. The Tate Taylor-directed thriller is expected to rack up $9 million-$10 million on Friday from 3,144 theaters.

The Girl on the Train is about a recently divorced woman (played by Blunt) who believes she witnesses a murder while riding on the train. However, because of her troubled past and alcohol problems, she is unsure if she can trust what she believes she’s seen.

The weekend’s other new wide release is Fox Searchlight’s Birth of a Nation – Nate Parkers directorial debut. The drama, based on the 1831 biopic of slave revolt led by Nat Turner, stars (director) Parker opposite Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Penelope Ann Miller and Gabrielle Union.

Birth of a Nation is expected to take in about $3 million on its opening day from 2,107 theaters.

In recent months, the film’s debut has been clouded by controversy over the 1999 trial of Parker and Jean Celestin (who later co-wrote Birth of a Nation). Both were accused of raping a classmate at Penn State. The unidentified woman committed suicide in 2012. Parker was acquitted of the rape charges in 2001, while Celestin was convicted and later overturned on appeal.

The final weekend newcomer is Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life – which is expected to open with $9 million from 2,822 theaters. Steve Carr’s kid-friendly film, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts, stars Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham, Rob Riggle, Retta, Thomas Barbusca, Andy Daly and Adam Pally.

Check out the trailers below and let us know what film you’ll be watching this weekend!