"Pirates 4" to set sail with a massive debut
(CBS/What's Trending) - Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise is one of the most successful of all-time, with the first three films earning a global total of $2.7 billion. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" in 3-D will open in 4,155 theaters this Friday. This marks the largest IMAX release ever with a record-breaking 256 screens in North America and 137 screens internationally .
The first "Pirates" installment to be released in IMAX and 3-D, "On Stranger Tides" should follow in the very large footsteps of its predecessors and earn around $90 million this weekend after kicking off with midnight screenings on Thursday. Johnny Depp reprises his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow while Penelope Cruz joins the fun and adds to the appeal of this important franchise.
Reviews on the web are decidedly negative, and only 13,000 people like the movie on Facebook. However, as we've seen in the past, it hardly matters: When it comes to these big summer popcorn movies, the audience just wants to go along for the ride (at least on opening weekend):
"If you want to burden your movie from the outset, give it a protagonist who can't grow, can't change, can't feel and wants nothing. Then give Depp total license to mug his way out of this confinement" - The San Francisco Chronicle
"Depp, back again as the swashbuckling miscreant who favors guy-liner and gold, somehow manages to keep this ship of fools afloat. But just barely." - The Los Angeles Times
"There's enough of Jack doing his wild hand gestures and lucking his way into the story that Depp fans will dig it. These Stranger Tides lead to a shallow pool, but sometimes a nice wading session might be all you require." - E! News
"There's little if anything here to keep us emotionally invested, and so the pile-it-on mutinies and sword fights and perilous dives off vertiginous cliffs exist just to wow us." - The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Bridesmaids" is expected to have a minimal second weekend drop similar to the 27 percent drop that "The Hangover" enjoyed back in June of 2009 and earn around $20 million this weekend. Of course, there is the small matter of a big blockbuster called "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" that assures "Bridesmaids" will remain a bridesmaid this coming weekend, not the bride, once again.
EW.com had this to say about a possible (and we think inevitable) "Bridesmaids" sequel:
EW.com readers posting in the comments sections are any indication, people can't seem to get enough of Bridesmaids. And while many fans are getting their fill by seeing the top-notch comedy more than once in the theaters (and readying a spot for it in their DVD collections), the idea of a possible sequel ought to make them sing Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" from the rooftops with excitement.
Last year's comparable weekend saw the $70.8 million debut of "Shrek Forever After" and a solid 3rd weekend for "Iron Man 2." However, this weekend's top five led by "Pirates" should give us our second consecutive "up" weekend at the nation's theaters.