Whatever you have to say about Paramount Pictures’ decision to remake Eastman and Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, produced by Michael Bay, directed by Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) and starring Megan Fox, William Fichtner and Will Arnett, it’s definitely one for the “win” column as it pulled in an estimated $25 million its opening day with $4.6 million coming from Thursday previews.
That’s a solid showing that points to an opening weekend in the range of $60 million or more depending on how frontloaded it is due to its undeniable fan interest. That’s a bigger opening day than the $24.3 million opening for Disney’s Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, which took in $69.4 million in its three-day opening in late May, though many schools were still in session, plus its appeal to women meant it could stretch itself further over the coming summer months.
That’s also a stronger opening than Paramount’s similarly fannish G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, which opened with $22.2 million in early August 2009 for a $54.7 million weekend, as well as Fox’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which had a $19 million opening day and $54.8 million first weekend in early August two years later. Considering that both those movies received sequels, one would expect that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will follow suit.
Check back tomorrow for the full box office report.
