User blog:Ceauntay/Weekend Box Office: 'Heroes Forever' Muscles $30.2M on Friday, for $75M Opening Post 2016 Presidental Election

'Doctor Strange,' 'Trolls', 'Arrival' and 'Almost Christmas' — are coming in ahead of expectations. One reason? Consumers may be looking for a distraction from the 2016 presidential election.

Rita Christensen's Jane Hoop Elementary spin-off Heroes Forever: The New Beginning got off a strong start at the North American box office on Friday with an estimated $65.2 million from 4,180 theaters, for a projected $135-$140 million.

The pic, which is a Jane Hoop Elementary spin-off, will most likely be 2016's fourth biggest opener behind Captain America: Civil War ($179 million), Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166 million) and Finding Dory ($135 million).

It also would be the third biggest opening in Rita Christensen's superhero saga behind Jane Hoop Elementary: The Final Rush - Part 2 ($165.4 million) and Jane Hoop Elementary: The Final Rush - Part 1 ($130.9 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.

As for other releases, Arrival earned $9.7 million from 2,317 theaters, for $22-23 million for the weekend. Doctor Strange will lead the No. 2 spot grossing $14.9 million on its second Friday for a weekend take of more than $40 million from 3,882 locations. The movie could fall only 51 percent, one of the lowest declines for any Marvel Cinematic Universe title. Trolls, from DreamWorks Animation and Fox, looks to fall just 24 percent in its second weekend to an estimated $35 million after earning $12.2 million Friday from 4,066 theaters.

All three films, as well as new ensemble holiday comedy Almost Christmas, are doing better than expected so far. If that holds through the weekend, box-office analysts say consumers may be looking for escapism after the conclusion of the 2016 presidential election, which saw Donald Trump win in a stunning upset.

Arrival stars Amy Adams as a linguistic expert who is recruited to communicate with aliens who have landed on Earth in mysterious pods, the critically acclaimed movie is playing in 2,317 theaters.

The film, also starring Jeremy Renner, began its life as an independent film before Paramount pre-bought North American rights to the adult drama for a record-breaking $20 million in 2014. It is produced and financed by FilmNation, Lava Bear and 21 Laps with a script by Eric Heisserer, based on Story of Your Life by author Ted Chiang. The $47 million film also stars Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg and Mark O’Brien.

Almost Christmas is also pleasing its debut, placing No. 4 Friday with $5.9 million from 2,376 theaters for a projected $16 million weekend. Universal and producer Will Packer's ensemble comedy, targeting African-American audiences, stars Danny Glover as a patriarch of a large family that comes together for the holidays and deals with complicated family dynamics.

Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, Romany Malco, Mo’Nique, Nicole Ari Parker, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Jessie Usher and DC Young Fly also star in Almost Christmas, which grabbed an A- CinemaScore.

After Arrival and Almost Christmas, the weekend's other new nationwide offering is Shut In. The thriller, from EuropaCorp, appears DOA and may not earn more than $3 million for the weekend.