Box-Office Preview: Finding "Fault" With "Tomorrow"

Two new wide releases enter the Summer box office derby this weekend--Two months ago I would said that the one that has Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt sitting on the "Edge Of Tomorrow" (reviews) in Doug Liman's heavily promoted sci-fi war tale was gonna take the top spot come Sunday....

Not so much today.. The film adaptation of author John Green's young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars (reviews) arrives--and looks poised for victory. The romance has already set advance ticket sales record.

The story follows Hazel ("The Descendants" co-star Shailene Woodley) a sixteen-year-old cancer patient, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group. She soon meets and falls in love with seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), an ex-basketball player and leg amputee.

Pamela McClintock of THR:

In a battle of the sexes, Fox 2000's female-fueled The Fault in Our Stars has a strong shot at defeating Tom Cruise's male-driven Edge of Tomorrow at the North American box office this weekend.

Whether Fault in Our Stars can topple another female property, Disney's holdover Maleficent, remains to be seen. Both films are tipped to gross $30 million or more from the weekend, although Fault could easily overperform. Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, debuted to $69.4 million last weekend for a cume-to-date of $82.8 million.

Fox insiders note that Fault in Our Stars' upside likely depends upon how many older females turn out. According to tracking, females under the age of 25 are by far the most interested in seeing the movie, which stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as young lovers who meet in a cancer support group.

The film, based on the best-selling book by John Green, is looking like a certain winner, considering it cost only $12 million to make. And Fault producers Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen are certainly no strangers at winning over females, having spearheaded the Twilight franchise for Summit Entertainment.

To start the action, Fox is hosting a fan event in 650 locations Thursday night, charging $25 for a screening of Fault and an interview with Green and the cast that will be simulcast in theaters.

Josh Boone directed Fault in Our Stars from an adapted script by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. The movie also stars Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Nat Wolff and Willem Dafoe.

Fault in Our Stars rolls out in a handful of foreign markets this weekend, including Brazil, where Green's book is a cultural phenomenon.

Edge of Tomorrow, costing Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow at least $178 million to make, is looking at a muted North American opening in the $25 million range, despite stellar reviews.

Directed by Doug Liman and co-starring Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow stars Cruise as a military officer battling aliens who is forced to live the same day over and over again.

Warners is counting on the movie doing exceptional business overseas, where Cruise remains a far bigger star than in the U.S. Edge, which began rolling out last weekend in select markets, has taken in $33 million internationally through Wednesday and is doing particularly well in Asia. The movie will be playing in more than 60 markets this weekend, including key players China, Australia, Mexico and Russia.

In North America, the only other film making a major push is Jon Favreau's food truck comedy Chef, which opened in select theaters last month and expands nationwide this weekend. The indie film, distributed by Open Road Films, has earned $7.5 million to date.