Firefly

THIS WEEKEND Five new films open or expand nationwide making for one crowded frame at the North American box office. Universal leads the way with its sci-fi adventure Serenity, Sony counters with its sunken treasure actioner Into the Blue, and Disney goes after families with the golf saga The Greatest Game Ever Played. Meanwhile, New Line widens its hit drama A History of Violence and Sony expands Oliver Twist after both films debuted to impressive results last weekend in limited release. With so many soldiers entering the battlefield, there are sure to be casualties come Monday as the marketplace will not be able to make room for each entry.

Universal launches the first space flick in months with Joss Whedon’s Serenity, the story of an intergalactic transport ship harboring a wanted fugitive. The PG-13 film is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator’s short-lived television series Firefly on Fox and boasts a built-in audience of loyal fans who have been eagerly awaiting this arrival. Other sci-fi fans not so familiar with the source material are likely to join in on the fun since there are no similar movies out right now and the buzz has been strong. However, appeal outside of the sci-fi crowd will be limited and there are no stars to pull in interest from non-fans. Plus Serenity’s release will not be as wide as one would expect for big-budget space pics. Marketing support has been strong and awareness is high among the core crowd of young males and genre fans. Special preview screenings done months earlier and promotions at conventions have helped to build excitement and spread word-of-mouth for what the studio hopes will become a franchise that could get it through the rest of the decade. Blasting off in 2,188 theaters, Serenity could open with about $16M this weekend.