‘I Still Believe’ Could Top ‘Bloodshot,’ ‘The Hunt’ at

A busy March field workplace slate continues this weekend with the discharge of three new movies: Sony’s adaptation of the Valiant comedian e-book sequence “Bloodshot,” Universal/Blumhouse’s provocative thriller “The Hunt” and Lionsgate’s faith-based “I Still Believe,” the studio’s first launch below its new partnership with Jon and Andrew Erwin’s manufacturing label Kingdom Story Company.

Of these three, “I Still Believe” is the one picked by unbiased trackers to have the very best opening weekend and one analysts inform TheWrap has an out of doors probability of taking the No. 1 spot from Pixar’s “Onward” if it overperforms. Estimates for the inspirational true story movie are presently set round $15 million, with Lionsgate projecting a $10-12 million begin. Screenings will start early on IMAX beginning Wednesday.

While it isn’t anticipated to be a significant grosser for Lionsgate, “I Still Believe” remains to be an vital launch for the studio. After Lionsgate’s $83 million success in 2018 with “I Can Only Imagine,” additionally an Erwin brothers’ movie, income from the film had been used to launch Kingdom Story Company in 2019 below a partnership with Lionsgate. The studio turned the primary main Hollywood studio to make a distribution cope with a faith-based label, aiming to launch a mixture of movies that enchantment to evangelical Christians and others that attain a wider viewers with broader inspirational themes. The partnership can be a part of Lionsgate’s plan to market itself to the business as a studio that places the director’s imaginative and prescient first. For extra on Lionsgate and Kingdom’s plans, take a look at our Box Office Report on WrapPRO.

“I Still Believe” stars KJ Apa within the true story of Jeremy Camp, a singer-songwriter who fell in love and married his first spouse, Melissa, as she was identified with terminal ovarian most cancers. The movie additionally stars Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, Melissa Roxburgh and Gary Sinise, with the Erwins directing a screenplay written by Jon Erwin, Jon Gunn and Madeline Carroll.

“The Hunt” can even hit theaters this weekend after being delayed from its preliminary launch final September within the wake of shootings in Dayton and El Paso, together with public backlash on the movie’s premise of wealthy liberals looking conservatives for sport. The advertising and marketing for the movie has closely leaned into that backlash, with a theatrical poster that includes quotes from shops like Fox News and The Wall Street Journal condemning the movie, together with the tagline: “The most talked about movie of the year is one that no one’s actually seen.”

The movie may additionally get a small enhance from the elevated curiosity within the movie’s co-writer and producer Damon Lindelof, who received over critics along with his HBO sequence “Watchmen” final fall. But for now, “The Hunt” is predicted to have a quiet opening of $8-9 million in opposition to a price range of $14 million.

“The Hunt” stars Betty Gilpin as Crystal, one in every of a gaggle of purple staters who’re captured and transported to a distant facility known as Manor House, the place she should combat her method out as she is hunted by wealthy liberal elites who’ve paid hundreds to a spiteful businesswoman (Hilary Swank) to kill individuals for sport. Ike Barinholtz and Emma Roberts additionally star within the movie, which is directed by Craig Zobel and written by Lindelof and Nick Cuse.

Finally, there’s “Bloodshot,” an R-rated adaptation of the bloody Valiant Comics sequence starring Vin Diesel. At the second, the movie faces an uphill battle to interrupt even with estimates projecting a $10 million opening in opposition to a $45 million price range co-financed by Columba Pictures, Bona Film Group and Cross Creek Pictures. With “A Quiet Place Part II” popping out subsequent weekend, the movie could have a restricted window to drive turnout amongst 18-35 males.

“Bloodshot” stars Diesel as Ray Garrison, a U.S. Marine who’s introduced again to life with highly effective nanotechnology after he and his spouse are killed. Trained to be a robust super-soldier, he slowly regains…