Christian drama War Room is off to a good start at the North American box office, where it should come in No. 2 for the weekend behind champ Straight Outta Compton.
Early returns suggest War Room, playing in only 1,135 locations, could gross north of $3.5 million on Friday for a weekend debut in the $8 million-$9 million range for TriStar’s faith-based Affirm label. That’s a good result, considering the film’s small footprint.
War Room is the fifth collaboration from brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the directing and producing team behind such faith-based films as Fireproof and Courageous. The movie tells the story of a struggling family who searches for a solution through prayer. T.C. Stallings, Elizabeth Becka and Noel Baker star.
Playing in 3,142 locations, Universal’s Straight Outta Compton is tipped to earn roughly $4 million on Friday for a three-day take of $12.7 million or more. That will put the movie’s domestic total at north of $133 million through Sunday.
No Escape, which decided to get a jump on the competition by opening Wednesday, looks to come in a solid No. 3 for the weekend with roughly $8 million. The political action-thriller starring Owen Wilson, Lake Bell and Pierce Brosnan, got a jump on the competition by opening Wednesday, potentially putting its five-day debut at $10 million.
The outlook is grim for the weekend’s third new entry, Zac Efron‘s We Are Your Friends, unless it pops later on Friday night. We Are Your Friends, playing in 2,333 locations, was tracking to open to $8 million-$10 million, but may not clear $4 million.
Warner Bros. paid a modest $2 million to release We Are Your Friends in North America on behalf of Working Title Films and StudioCanal. In the film, Efron stars as a young DJ trying to break into the electronic dance music scene and become a producer. Wes Bentley and Emily Ratajkowski also star.
