'Noah’ to flood theatres

Will all the controversy and all the press awarded the controversy reap dividends at the box office this weekend? That’s the question facing Darren Aronofsky’s Noah. The director’s Biblical epic (action movie? Disaster flick? Faith-based offering? The latter seems the most unlikely…) opens in 3,500 theatres today. The familiar story of a man, a flood, and a host of animals boasts a trio of recognizable names: Jennifer Connelly, who is aces at playing crazy Russell Crowe’s supportive wife; Emma Watson; and of course, Crowe himself. Aronofsky, who directed 2010’s Academy Award-winning Black Swan, also brings a formidable fanbase to the table. All told, Paramount is expecting returns to tally out to between $30 and $33 million. Noah is already performing well overseas, in South Korea and Mexico specifically, where it bowed last week. Even if the movie fails to gain traction in the United States, international sales should help keep it out of the red.

Cesar Chavez, about the life and work of the iconic Mexican civil-rights activist, and Sabotage, starring the iconic (of a different sort) Arnold Schwarzenegger, also open this weekend, though neither is expected to do boffo business. Playing in 2,486 locations, the latter is Schwarzenegger’s most recent attempt at a big-screen comeback. His last two efforts, 2013's The Last Stand and Escape Plan, barely made a splash at the box office and didn’t do much to revive his acting career. With poor reviews (21 percent rotten on Rotten Tomatoes) and a rote drug-cartel-and-kidnapping plotline, it would be surprising if Sabotage proved the hit Arnold has been waiting for. Expect an opening weekend gross of under $10 million.

Cesar Chavez has also received poor reviews (37 percent rotten), however, a strong Hispanic turnout could propel the film to modest success. Opening in 644 locations, Chavez could pull in as much as, or even more than, $5 million.

Building momentum like a snowball racing down one of those mountains framing The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson’s specialty hit expands yet again this weekend, to 1,000 theatres. Jason Bateman’s Bad Words finally gets its wide release (800 theatres) today, but having disappointed in limited release the past two weekends, expectations for the movie’s broader national performance are low.

‘Need for Speed’ to cruise into 1st place

Disney is expecting modest returns in the low-to-mid $20 millions for videogame adaptation Need for Speed this weekend, but those earnings should still be enough to propel the Aaron Paul star vehicle (pun not intended, we promise) to first place. The film has received terrible reviews (23 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), not to mention, movies based on or inspired by videogames do not have a great track record of success (see: Max Payne, Doom). Nonetheless, the fanboy fan-base is a faithful one, and Aaron Paul, fresh off the final season of "Breaking Bad," will no doubt draw many fans in his own right.

Tyler Perry’s Single Moms Club also opens wide this weekend. However, it will probably not take second place, or even third place. Those slots should go to holdovers Mr. Peabody & Sherman and 300: Rise of an Empire. Both films are expected to gross in the high-teens, while Club is tracking a little softer, in the mid-teens. Incredibly, Single Moms Club will mark director Tyler Perry’s 15^th movie since 2006. Nine of those films debuted to $20 million or more, although most featured Perry’s Madea character or opened over Easter weekend. Club fits neither criterion.

TV cult favorite Veronica Mars finally hits the big screen today. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, in which fans raised over $5 million, Mars will screen in 291 locations and via VOD. If everyone who contributed to the Kickstarter fund opts to see the movie in theatres, Veronica Mars could earn upwards of $2 million.

Ahead of its wide release next weekend, Jason Bateman’s feature directorial debut Bad Words opens in six locations in NY and LA. It will probably not beat or even meet the record-breaking per-screen average Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel achieved last weekend, although it may still enjoy a solid opening. As for Hotel, the feature expands to 66 locations and will likely take in $2 million or so.

Love her or hate her, more Jennifer Aniston movies are on their way

By Sarah Sluis

Oh, Jennifer Aniston. Ever since you left "Friends" you've been making a career out of romantic comedies. Though none of them has been particularly good, I've seen my fair share, which I guess is the reason you

keep starring in them. People like you even if they leave your movies a little underwhelmed. While I admired your indie starring role in Friends with Money, your tiny role in Office Space earned you way more cred in my book. I missed The Bounty Hunter though I'm interested in seeing The Baster, which sounds like it has some edge to it...except that they just changed the title to the less evocative The Switch. Up next, there's a little more of the same as well as something a bit different.

First, you'll start filming WanderLust this fall with Paul Rudd, director David Wain and producer Judd Apatow. The movie is about a broke couple that moves to a commune. There's two possible options here. One, it goes the typical city-slickers-move-to-the-country route that we've seen hundreds of times. At first the couple is repulsed, then they grow to like their new area and defend it, end of story (For Richer of Poorer, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, etc.) However, I'm a fan of David Wain's Role Models, which was funny and had some spot-on characterizations of niche communities. When he made fun of LARPers (live action role players), it wasn't because he exaggerated the character types, it was because he nailed them to a T. If he can do similar work with the hippy-dippys on the commune, the movie should be in good shape. Having Apatow as a producer won't hurt.

Your second project, Ms. Aniston, also gives me some hope. You'll play one of the eponymous Horrible Bosses. Have we ever seen you play a villain? I'm kind of excited to see you be mean. Jason Bateman, Colin Farrell and Charlie Day (TV's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") are also on track to be in the cast. The comedy will center on three friends who decide to murder their bosses in revenge. Seth Gordon (Four Christmases) will direct for Universal. I'm kind of iffy on murder-comedies, because I think the tone can be difficult to nail (although who knows if the planned murders will happen or go awry). It looks like this project comes from a dusted-off script that's been re-tooled by new screenwriters. A good screenplay finally getting its time...or something pulled up to satisfy an actor? We'll know soon enough.