A classic video game and a cult classic get the big screen treatment this weekend. Need for Speed stars Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame and will stay to lay a solid foundation for a movie franchise. In 2007, Veronica Mars left the airwaves. Now, Kristen Bell returns as the private eye lead character.

Recapping Last Weekend

300: Rise of An Empire pulled in $45 million to lead the box office in its first weekend. It edged out Mr. Peabody & Sherman‘s $32 million opening. Non-Stop with Liam Neeson had a decent second weekend with a $15.8 million to finish third. It has now earned back its $50 million production budget. The LEGO Movie pulled in $10.9 million in its fifth weekend of release. It has now topped $225 million on a $60 million budget. By comparison, Mr. Peabody had a production budget of $145 million. Son of God rounded out the top five with $10.4 million.

3 Days to Kill brought in $3 million in its third weekend, which barely edged out Frozen‘s $2.95 million. The animated Disney film is in its 16th week of release. It is the second-biggest movie ever to not be #1 in its opening weekend. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’s second weekend edged it out back at the end of November 2013.

12 Years a Slave got a huge boost from its haul at the Academy Awards. In its 21st week of release, the film brought in $2.1 million. It saw a 654 theater increase and a 116.3% jump in sales.

Opening This Weekend

 

Need for Speed

Aaron Paul played Jesse Pinkman in 62 episodes of Breaking Bad.  He’ll play Tobey Marshall in Need for Speed. It’s hard judging where this role falls in Paul’s career. This is a man who played Wasted Guy in Van Wilder: Party Liason, Frat Boy #2 on Melrose Place and Sky Commander Winky on The X-Files among others. Paul was also in an episode of Veronica Mars back in 2005.

Forbes called this one a rare Disney ‘B-Movie”. The Seattle Times points out that it’s more Fast & Furious 12 or whatever than the start of a new franchise.

 

Veronica Mars

 The original television series ran for 64 episodes from 2004-2007 and starred Kristen Bell as a newly-minted private detective. After the series went off the air it became even more of a cult classic. The Kickstarter project to get the film funding off the ground was ridiculously successful. If you are a big fan of the television series, here’s how to get ready for the movie. This is really an extension of the series so, of course it is pretty much just a long episode. The theater receipts from this movie won’t be very high but it could totally revolutionize the way movies are distributed.  Veronica Mars is being released on Amazon and iTunes on Friday as well as in theaters.

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Catch It Before It’s Gone

 

After 3 weeks, 3 Days To Kill will make its debut in the “land of misft movies” tomorrow.  Keller 8 will be saying goodbye to Dallas Buyer’s Club, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Wolf of Wall Street and Saving Mr. Banks after this weekend. Endless Love also will be debuting at Keller tomorrow.

 

Make It A Redbox Night

 

Inside Llewyn Davis makes it debut in the magical boxes this weekend.  The Counselor and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire do as well.

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