A suspected murderer and a haunted doll will be going head to head this weekend, as they both battle for the No. 1 spot at the box office.
David Fincher’s Gone Girl has been receiving rave reviews from critics, prompting analysts to predict the film will earn between $20 million to mid-20s from 3,013 locations. 20th Century Fox and New Regency, on the other hand, estimate that the thriller, which cost roughly $61 million to produce, will land somewhere between $22 million to $23 million.
Gone Girl stars Ben Affleck as the leading man who becomes a murder suspect after the disappearance of his wife (Rosamund Pike). Following Thursday night showings, the film adaptation of the novel written by Gillian Flynn, grossed a strong $1.3 million at the box office.
In the scary movie market is New Line and Warner Bros.’ horror feature Annabelle, which cost $6.5 million to produce and is expected to earn $23 million from over 3,185 locations. So far, the spin-off has raked in a solid $2.1 million, beating Gone Girl by just a few.
The film is centered on the possessed doll seen in the home museum of paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) from The Conjuring. Last year’s fright flick debuted with $41.8 million and went on to become the most profitable film of 2013, grossing $318 million worldwide.
“That connection to ‘The Conjuring’ is going to have this play as close to a sequel as possible,” said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “They’re doing the right things. It’s got demonic possession and it’s based on a true story and those are the only things working in horror right now.”
The weekend’s other wide release caters to a more faith-based audience, unlike the previous R-rated features. Nicholas Cage’s action drama Left Behind should produce less than $10 million in over 1,800 locations.
Based on the popular series and rebooted off of the 2000 adaptation with Kirk Cameron, the film stars Chad Michael Murray, Lea Thompson and Jordin Sparks, alongside Cage.
“It’s a tough weekend to call,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “[‘Gone Girl’] is going to gain momentum after it starts screening Thursday and the conversation blows up on Twitter and Facebook. People are going to want to see it so they don’t get left out.”
