Last weekend's No. 1 movie, Sony Pictures' political thriller "Vantage Point" will slip to second with about $12 million. And another holdover, Paramount Pictures' family fantasy "The Spiderwick Chronicles," could take third with $9 million.
The PG-13 "Boleyn Girl," produced by Sony, Relativity Media and Universal's Focus Features for about $35 million, opens only moderately wide at about 1,200 theaters, which seems appropriate for a movie that's halfway between megaplex and art-house fare.
It tells one of the classic stories in English history -- the tale of the beautiful Boleyn sisters, Anne and Mary, who competed for the love of King Henry VIII. Producer Scott Rudin has a reputation for classy adaptations, including Oscar winner "No Country for Old Men."
"Boleyn Girl" has an attractive cast and enough passion, intrigue and betrayal to appeal to a commercial audience, guys included, without seeming like a history lesson, said Jeff Blake, Sony's president of worldwide marketing and distribution.
"It's a bit of a bodice-ripper, as they say," Blake said.
Point taken. Projector is already checking the available showtimes.
Sony says it hopes for an opening similar to 2005's "Pride and Prejudice," which took in $7.2 million when it went wide. That would be good for fourth place over the weekend, but the picture could surprise and fare slightly better.
Online ticket merchant Fandango.com noted that "Boleyn Girl" was outselling "Semi-Pro" as of Thursday afternoon, although that might only confirm that women plan ahead better than men.
"Penelope," produced for less than $15 million by Stone Village Pictures and Reese Witherspoon's Type A Films, opens at 1,200 theaters. Witherspoon, James McAvoy and Catherine O'Hara also co-star.
The PG movie, the first release from upstart studio Summit Entertainment in its new incarnation, is about a young woman who must find true love to break a family curse. The core audience will be moms and daughters.
Look for the movie to open at $3 million, unless it can grab a solid share of the female audience from "Boleyn Girl."
In a just world the talented Ricci, whose credits include "The Ice Storm" and "Black Snake Moan," would be a big box-office draw. But that's not the world we live in.
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josh.friedman@latimes.com
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Weekend Forecast
