The Missouri-filmed Gone Girl with Ben Affleck finally opens in theaters this weekend. The Conjuring spin-off Annabelle attempts to get you in the Halloween spirit and Nicolas Cage is in a reboot of the Left Behind that actually opens in theaters.

Also, The Drop and The November Man make their way to Keller 8 in South County and Transformers: Age of Extinction is available to rent at your local Redbox.

 

Recapping Last Weekend

The Equalizer with Denzel Washington came through with $34 million in its debut weekend to top the box office. The Maze Runner, in its second weekend of release earned $17.4 million to barely beat out the other new release, The Boxtrolls and its $17.3 million. Maze Runner has now made $58 million in two weeks of release on a $34 million budget. Boxtrolls will need strong word-of-mouth to make back its $60 million budget. This Is Where I Leave You finished in fourth place with $6.9 million and Dolphin Tale 2 rounded out the top 5 with $4.8 million.

No Good Deed has fallen sharply to put it at sixth in its third weekend of release with $4.5 million. The film has already totaled $46.5 million in receipts, well above its $13.2 million budget.

Guardians of the Galaxy is still in the top ten nine weeks into its theater run. Its $3.7 million this past weekend pushed it to $319 million domestically and $645 million worldwide.

Let’s Be Cops has also been quite the financial success. In seven weeks of release, it has earned just shy of $80 million domestically  on a $17 million budget. Add in another $26 million overseas and it has passsed the $100 million mark.

Opening This Weekend

 

Gone Girl

The film adaptation of the Gillian Flynn hit novel has gotten rave reviews, like this one from Forbes. Here’s a brief look at the difference between Flynn’s book and director David Fincher’s movie. Most of Gone Girl was filmed around Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Take a look at 18 spots around the town that are featured in the movie.  Fincher, who also directed The Social Network, recently talked to NPR about Gone Girl.

Projection: $28 million

 

Annabelle

When you take into account that this “prequel/spin-off” to The Conjuring was filmed on a set the director says was haunted, you know it will fill that scary movie itch you have. Annabelle could easily be the top-grossing scary movie of the year. A.V.Club says that while this one was done on the cheap, it’s scare-factor are anything but.

Annabelle opens tomorrow in downtown St. Louis at MX Movies.

Projection:  $21.2 million

Left Behind

This one isn’t expected to do well at the box office, but it very well could be a sleeper hit. Wait, nevermind. Most of the reviews, think the most surprising part of this film is that it is worse than the original with Kirk Cameron.Then again, the professional reviews for God’s Not Dead were also terrible. It only made $60 million at the box office on a $2 million budget.   Nicolas Cage and Lea Thompson star in the remake as Rayford and Irene Steele. Chad Michael Murray, of One Tree Hill, takes over as Buck Williams. People are asking a lot of questions about what is going on with this film. Either way, the books sold a lot of copies, so if this movie interests you, the books are sure to as well.

Projection: $7 million

 

Catch It Before It’s Gone

The Drop and The November Man make their way to Keller 8 this weekend. The Drop has underachieved at the box office with under $10 million in receipts in its three weeks out. Tom Hardy and the late James Gandolfini star in this film made for $12.6 million. This role was Gandolfini’s last. The November Man stars Pierce Brosnan and has made $25 million in five weeks of release.

 

 

Make It A Redbox Night

Transformers: Age of Extinction  is now available to rent from your local Redbox after bringing in over $1 billion during its theater run. Check out some just-released pictures from the set.

Coming Soon

Taken 3

Liam Neeson’s Brian Mills returns to theaters on January 9, 2015. Mills is accused of murdering his ex-wife and must use his “unique set of talents” to clear his name and protect his daughter.

 

The Boy Next Door

Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman and Kristin Chenoweth star in this film about a forbidden affair gone very wrong that opens in January next year.  The trailer does not show Ryan Guzman showing any of his sweet dance moves from his Step Up days.

Maps To The Stars

Julianna Moore and Robert Pattinson star in Maps To The Stars, which recently debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film has already been released in several countries, but will be released the the U.S. later this month.

 

Miss Meadows

Starring Katie Holmes

 

Fury

Starring Brad Pitt.

Brought to you by Mills Properties.