‘Zootopia’ Currently Roaring A $65M Opening; ‘London Has Fallen’ Seizing $22M – Afternoon B.O. Update

2ND UPDATE, 12:23PM: Disney’s original animated film about anthropomorphic animals Zootopia is currently looking to hook a $16.5M Friday which would beat the wide opening first day of Frozen at $15.1M, which was a Wednesday, and 2014’s Big Hero 6 which made $15.8M. This puts Zootopia currently with a projected FSS of $65M, which is just below Frozen‘s $67.4M (that played during the high-turnstile post Thanksgiving day frame) and ahead of BH6‘s 3-day of $56.2M.

Gramercy/Focus Features’ London Has Fallen is slotting second with $7.5M Friday and a $22M weekend per industry estimates, which would be 56% better than what Butler’s Gods of Egypt opened up to at $14.1M last weekend in second place. Focus is handling London Has Fallen for a fee. It was financed by Millennium for an estimated $60M. Butler’s sword and sandal film is now looking at $8M for its second outing, down 43% for a running cume through 10 days of $25.8M.

Deadpool is going to beat Tina Fey’s Afghanistan romp with an estimated $18M-$20M fourth FSS. It’s set to eclipse $300M today.

Paramount’s Whiskey Tango Fox Trot which has positive reviews from The New York Observer, The New Yorker, The New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal and a 61% Rotten Tomatoes fresh rating is headed toward $2.5M today and a $7.5M opening.

Doing not so hot on the arthouse front is Broad Green’s Terrence Malick film Knight of Cups which is finally seeing the light of day. It’s playing at the Landmark on Pico and the Hollywood Arclight in Los Angeles and Lincoln Square the Sunshine Cinemas in New York. A film like this would be considered a success if it was pulling in $35K a screen at these locations. It’s currently projected to make $10K a screen.

1ST UPDATE:Disney’s Zootopia made $1.7M last night, which is a B.O. high point in preview for Disney’s original animated fare outside of Pixar. The critically acclaimed movie about a fugitive fox who teams with a rookie-cop rabbit to uncover a conspiracy is on course to do $60M this weekend and could reach $70M. During previous late winter/early spring periods with Alice in Wonderland, Oz the Great and Powerful and last year’s Cinderella, Disney has launched big product four weeks prior to Easter in an effort to capitalize on rolling spring breaks. Rentrak reports the the number of K-12 schools on break will rise from 3% off today to 5% on Monday, while college breaks will move from 4% to 22% over the same block.

In addition, Gramercy/Focus reports that Millennium’s London Has Fallen seized $850K from early showtimes last night at 2,400 sites. The Gerard Butler action pic is on course to be in the lower $20M range this weekend. The first 2013 chapter Olympus Has Fallen drew 53% male vs. 47% female, 73% ages 25 years and older. The sequel also is tracking strongest among older men in first choice, total awareness and definite awareness. Butler’s latest this weekend faces off with his previous last weekend, Lionsgate’s $140M bomb Gods of Egypt which made $17.9M in its first week and is expected to fall 55% in its second FSS or $6.3M. Critics like the second Secret Service movie less than the first, 23% Rotten to 48%. The first Olympus Has Fallen was a surprise hit earning $30.4M in its debut before finaling at $99M stateside.

By comparison to other original Disney animated IP, Zootopia outstrips Big Hero 6which made $1.4M in Thursday previews, while Frozen churned out $1.2M in Tuesday night previews. In addition, Zootopia beats the preview cash of DreamWorks Animation’s Home which made $650K, Paramount’s SpongeBob: Sponge Out of Water with $560K, Warner Bros.’ The Lego Movie at $400K, Fox’s Rio 2 at $375K as well as the $400K for midnight shows of Wreck-It Ralph in 2012.

Among films in release, 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool made $2.1M in the top spot yesterday and it is expected to cross the $300M threshold today. The Tim Miller-directed title should ring up $20M in its fourth go-round.

Paramount also previewed Tina Fey’s political comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot last night. The Melrose Ave. lot’s distribution office just reported $300K for the Glenn Ficarra-John Requa-directed movie last night. That’s less than half of the $769K thatSisters made during its Thursday previews. Granted, that was a much broader comedy. Interestingly enough, Fey counterprogrammed Butler’s Olympus back in 2013 with the $13M romantic comedy Admission which died at the B.O. with a $6.2M opening and $18M domestic cume. Hopefully audiences stomach Whiskey better with an anticipated $10M-$12M three-day. Whiskey carries a $35M estimated production cost, which is $5M more than Sisters which ultimately made $87M in the shadow of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.