User blog:Ceauntay/Weekend Box Office: 'Heroes Forever: The New Beginning' Records Franchise's Low With $77 Million

A number of titles — including new offerings 'Arrival' and 'Almost Christmas' — did more business than expected. "Two hours of moviegoing is like a massive, immersive group therapy session," says one box-office analyst as overall revenue jumped as much as 50 percent.

Rita Christensen's Jane Hoop Elementary spin-off Heroes Forever: The New Beginning got off a massive start at the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $157 million from 4,180 theaters. It is originally projected for $130-$140 million, but has officially exceeded higher expectations post 2016 presidential election after a stunning upset of Donald Trump winning president.

The pic, which is a Jane Hoop Elementary spin-off, is now 2016's fourth biggest opener behind Captain America: Civil War ($179 million) and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166 million). It is the second biggest opening in Rita Christensen's superhero saga behind Jane Hoop Elementary: The Final Rush - Part 2 ($165.4 million), and also had the second biggest opening for the month behind only The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($158 million).

Heroes Forever: The New Beginning hopes to launch a new franchise for Christensen and Paramount Pictures, home of blockbuster Jane Hoop Elementary film series, based on Christensen's books.

Unlike Jane Hoop Elementary, Heroes Forever isn't based on a book, but on a script written by Christensen. Gary Ross directed.

As originally planned for a trilogy, but in Apr. 2016, Christensen announced that she would extend the franchise to a total of five films. She will be screenwriter for all five film installments.

The film stars Jessie actor Cameron Boyce as Devin Gorden, the new leader of the new Jane Hoop Elementary, who must learn for himself to protect the world from evil despite never realizing that he is given a special gift. Devin happens to be the son of Danny and Rebecca, who both were the original Jane Hoop Elementary heroes in the Jane Hoop Elementary days. G. Hannelis and Marcus Scribner also stars as his siblings, Brooke Gorden, Danny and Rebecca's daughter, and Kurtis Gutzwiller, Alec and Naudia's son, both also original members in the Jane Hoop Elementary days.