User blog:Ceauntay/Weekend Box Office: 'Heroes Forever 2' Could Take $50 Million-Plus on Friday

='Heroes Forever' will edge out 'Thor: Ragnarok' pulling ahead of 'Murder on Orient Express' and 'Daddy's Home 2'.=

Paramount's Heroes Forever: The New Resolution will have a monster opening on at the North America box office Friday projecting $55 million-plus.

The pic is on course for a $135 million-plus for weekend total, in it's opening weekend, which would make it the fourth largest opener of 2017 behind Beauty and the Beast ($174 million), Teen Titans 2 ($164 million) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ($146 million), and second largest opening in the Jane Hoop Elementary series just behind Jane Hoop Elementary: The Final Rush - Part 2 ($165.2 million), and significantly higher than Heroes Forever: The New Resolution ($76.4 million).

In 2011, Jane Hoop Elementary: The Final Rush Part 2 conjures a record breaking $165.1 million in its weekend debut, while Heroes Forever: The New Beginning earned a soft $76.4 million last year.

Heroes Forever: The New Resolution scores a 88% score from Rotten Tomatoes, and scored a A+ CinemaScore. It will open in 4,225 locations.

Directed by Gary Ross, who also directs the last four Jane Hoop Elementary films and the first The Hunger Games, the sequel stars returning young actors as the heroes (Cameron Boyce, G. Hannelius, Marcus Scribner, Mika Abdalla and Jake Short) as they face with yet another challenge in their lives.

None of the other films will beat Heroes Forever: The New Resolution as Thor: Ragnarok will take a easily No. 2 spot with $60 million or more in its second weekend, pushing the tentpole's global total well past $600 million by Sunday.

From Fox, Murder on the Orient Express is projected to earn $9.5 million-$10 million from 3,341 theaters on Friday. That includes $1.6 million in Thursday debut previews, which bested fellow adult-skewing fall films Arrival ($1.45 million) and The Girl on the Train ($1.23 million).

Branagh also stars in the mystery movie opposite Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr. and Daisy Ridley. It marks the fourth big-screen or television adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic tale.

Paramount’s holiday comedy Daddy's Home 2 is tipped to gross $8.5 million on Friday from 3,575 theaters, including $1.5 million in previews, for a projected $20 million-debut. That's welcome news for the studio following the dismal performances of mother! and Suburbicon.

The sequel sees the return of Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, with Mel Gibson and John Lithgow joining the budding franchise. This time out, Dusty (Wahlberg) and Brad (Ferrell) join forces to provide their kids the best Christmas, but their newfound union is put to the test when their own fathers show up. Linda Cardellini, John Cena and Alessandra Ambrosio are also among the cast.

The first Daddy's Home debuted to $38.7 million over its Christmas 2015 weekend debut, but had the advantage of playing to families off for the holidays.

New offerings at the specialty box office include Fox Searchlight's awards contender Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, starring Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.