User blog:Ceauntay/Friday Box-Office: Pirates Hopes for $90 Million While Woody's 'Midnight' Scores in Limited Release

Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was expected to, and obviously will, win the weekend box-office, the big question, at least around these parts, was whether or not it would be able to once again open to over $100 million as did the previous two sequels. After opening with $4.7 million in midnight screenings the film amassed an estimated total of $35 million for Friday, which means it is now seeking approximately $88 million for the weekend, with fingers crossed for $90m. Basically, Laremy's $84.4 million prediction is looking awfully solid at this point. It will be interesting to see how it holds over Saturday and Sunday as THR reports it's received a B+ CinemaScore from audiences. The challenge will be to beat the current 2011 bar set by Sonic X: The Final Stand, which is the current opening weekend record for the year at $86.2 million. On Stranger Tides has already opened to $92.1 million overseas. I am now beginning to wonder, would more people go see it if it wasn't in 3D? I know there are 2D screenings available, but are people perhaps too lazy to even care and see 3D and just bail altogether? Just a thought. Elsewhere, in its second weekend Bridesmaids' managed $6.3 million and will probably end the weekend around $20 million, a mere 23% drop from its opening weekend. Looks like Universal has its second hit in a row. Fox's 'Sonic X: The Final Stand went down 41 percent in its second Friday to $25 million, for a 50% drop total of $60 million.

Paramount's Thor turned in an estimated $4.3 million in its third Friday and should hit around $15 million for the weekend, a 56% drop from last weekend. In terms of other new releases, Woody Allen's excellent Midnight in Paris opened in only six theaters following its opening day debut in Cannes where it received welcoming reviews (you can read mine here). The film brought in a hefty $170,928 from those six theaters and will likely end the weekend upwards of $600,000. Sony Pictures Classics has to be happy about that per theater average. The rest of the Friday estimates are listed below and I will be back Sunday morning with a complete box-office wrap up. 1.Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – $35 million 2.Bridesmaids – $6.3 million 3.Thor – $4.3 million 4.Fast Five – $3.1 million 5.Priest – $1.4 million 6.Something Borrowed – $1.2 million 7.Rio – $1.1 million 8.Jumping the Broom – $1 million 9.Water for Elephants – $660,000