It’s gals vs. gamers at the box office as the Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer movie season in style.
On the gamer side of things is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Disney-distributed action film based on the popular video game series. The film is set to open in about 3,500 cinemas.
Directed by Harry Potter alumnus Mike Newell and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina, Prince of Persia also features extensive visual effects from Cinesite ‘ London, The Moving Picture Co., Double Negative, Framestor, LipSync Post, NVisage, Cube Effects and Nvisible.
Released Thursday, Warner Bros.’ Sex and the City 2 opened in just under 3,500 cinemas. The film grossed $3 million in midnight screenings on Wednesday and looks to be a challenger for the weekend’s top spot.
DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek Forever After enters its second weekend and will be tested on its staying power after it opened with $71 million last weekend. That number was less than the previous two installments in the series, but the film could follow the trend set this year by other stereoscopic 3D movies and hang on to more of its audience than non-3D films.
Other films still in play for the holiday weekend are Iron Man 2, Robin Hood and DreamWorks Animation’s other 3D feature How to Train Your Dragon.
