Disney and Pixar’s Cars 3 is headed for a $51 million-plus U.S. debut, the lowest in the franchise but easily enough to chase the competition off the road and win the weekend. The other big headline is Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, which is doing far better than expected for a likely $30 million-plus launch in the U.S.
Cars 3 grossed $19.5 million Friday from 4,256 theaters after nabbing an A CinemaScore — the 18th Pixar release to receive some variation of the A grade. The film, directed by Brian Fee, will wrest the weekend crown from holdover Wonder Woman, which is projected to earn a stellar $39 million from 4,018 theaters in its third session for a domestic total of nearly $275 million. On Friday, Wonder Woman soared past the $500 million mark globally.
Cars and Cars 2 have earned more than $1 billion in combined worldwide box office. Cars 2 opened in 2011 to $66.1 million domestically, and went on to earn $562.1 million worldwide. Cars, which hit theaters in 2006, earned $60.1 million in its North American debut before hitting $462.2 million worldwide.
The threequel follows the legendary Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) as he’s pushed out of the sport he loves by a new generation of blazing-fast racers. He enlists the help of a young race technician (voice of Cristela Alonzo) to help him get back in the game.
Lionsgate’s Codeblack Films is releasing director Benny Boom’s All Eyez on Me, which is hitting theaters on what would have been the late music icon’s 46th birthday. Named after Shakur’s fourth studio album, the movie includes over a dozen songs from his music catalog.
The biopic, starring Demetrius Shipp Jr., earned $12.8 million Friday from 2,471 theaters. Audiences bestowed the film with an A- CinemaScore. The cast also includes Kat Graham, who plays Jada Pinkett-Smith, who was close to Shukar. (Pinkett-Smith says the movie is “deeply hurtful.”)
The Mummy will follow at No. 4 for the weekend with an estimated $14 million from 4,034 locations for a domestic total of $56 million-plus through Sunday.
The news is rough for Sony’s raunchy female comedy, Rough Night. The movie grossed a muted $3.3 million Friday for a projected $8 million-plus weekend. The $20 million movie stars Scarlett Johansson, Ilana Glazer, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell and Zoe Kravitz as a group of friends who gather for a weekend-long bachelorette bash. Lucia Aniello directed the film.
Rough Night looks to be beat by independent shark thriller 47 Meters Down, starring Mandy Moore and Claire Holt. The film, the first major title from Byron Allen’s distribution venture Entertainment Studios, is swimming toward an $11 million-plus domestic launch from 2,270 theaters after grossing $4.5 million on Friday.
Rough Night received a C+ CinemaScore, and 47 Meters, a C.
Pamela McClintock contributed to this report.
June 16, 12:35 pm: Updated to include early Friday estimates.
June 17, 7 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend estimates.
