Box Office: ‘The Lego Movie 2’ to Fall Short With $31 Million

Warner Bros.’ “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” is likely to lead the pack at the box office in its debut with an estimated $31 million from 4,303 North American locations.

While the animated adventure pic is still coming out well ahead of the next-highest projected earner for the weekend, the latest estimates for the fourth film in the Lego franchise are significantly below earlier tracking, which had forecasted a debut in the $50 million range. “The Lego Movie 2” took in $8.5 million on Friday.

Chris Pratt stars as the voice of Emmet Brickowski and new character Rex Dangervest. Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Nick Offerman and Will Ferrell reprise their roles from earlier Lego films, with Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, and Maya Rudolph joining the cast as new characters. Mike Mitchell directed from Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s screenplay.

Taraji P. Henson’s “What Men Want” should land in second with an estimated $17 million from 2,912 domestic sites. The fantasy comedy picked up $6.6 million on Friday.

Paramount’s loose remake of the 2000 film starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt features Henson as a sports agent who suddenly acquires the ability to hear men’s thoughts. Adam Shankman directed from a script by Tina Gordon, Alex Gregory, and Peter Huyck. “What Men Want” has a A- CinemaScore and 47% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

“Cold Pursuit,” Liam Neeson’s latest actioner, should draw $10.25 million from 2,630 cineplexes to nab third place. The Lionsgate pic earned $3.64 million on Friday despite Neeson’s presence in the news after he revealed he had once contemplated committing a hate crime after a friend’s rape.

Neeson stars as a snowplower who seeks revenge after his son is mysteriously murdered. Hans Petter Moland helmed the black comedy, with Frank Baldwin adapting the script from Kim Fupz Aakeson’s book “In Order of Disappearance.” It’s landed a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Two holdovers will round out the last spots in the top five, with STX Films’ fifth frame of “The Upside” estimated to bring in $6.8 million, just ahead of Universal’s fourth weekend of “Glass” with $6 million.

Orion Pictures’ “The Prodigy” is debuting at No. 6 this weekend with an estimated $5.4 million from 2,530 sites. The pic pocketed $2 million on Friday. “Orange Is the New Black’s” Taylor Schilling stars as a mother who comes to believe her young son (Jackson Robert Scott) is possessed by a supernatural force after he shows signs of superior intellect but also begins to exhibit sinister behavior. Nicholas McCarthy directed from Jeff Buhler’s script. The horror thriller has a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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