Can Smurfs Knock Boss Baby Off the Top of the Box Office?

Traditionally, April has never been one of the biggest months to open a movie, but that all changed a few years ago when theFast & Furiousfranchise started finding success in the spring months. The next installment in that high-octane franchise,The Fate of the Furious, doesn’t hit theaters until April 14, but this weekend, moviegoers will have three new films arriving in wide release, Sony’s animated adventureSmurfs: The Lost Village, Warner Bros.' comedy remakeGoing In Styleand PureFlix’sThe Case For Christ. None of these will (probably) be able to stop last weekend’s winner,The Boss Baby, which will likely repeat atop the box office with $25.2 million.

Box Office Mojoreports thatSmurfs: The Lost Village, which marks the franchise’s return to fullyanimated movies, instead of live-action/CGI hybrids, is expected to open in roughly 3,400 theaters, withGoing in Styleestimated to open in 3,000 theaters, whileThe Case for Christis believed to debut in 1,100 theaters. As of now, onlySmurfs: The Lost Villagehas enough reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for a rating of 33%, with just eight positive reviews out of 24, but we’ll have to wait and see what the critics think ofGoing in StyleandThe Case for Christ. We’re predicting thatSmurfs: The Lost Villagewill make it a slightly close race, opening with $22.4 million in third place behindThe Boss BabyandBeauty and the Beast($23.5 million).

If this projection is accurate, this opening weekend projection forSmurfs: The Lost Villagewill fall directly between the debuts of its predecessors. 2011’sThe Smurfs, which blended theanimated Smurfswith live-action characters played byNeil Patrick Harris,Jayma MaysandHank Azaria, debuted with $35.6 million en route to a $142.6 million domestic take and $563.7 million worldwide take, from just a $110 million budget. The 2013 follow-upThe Smurfs 2didn’t fare quite so well, opening with just $17.5 million, with a $71 million domestic take, although it still fared well in international territories, with a worldwide gross of $347.5 million from a $105 million budget.

A year afterThe Smurfs 2debuted, Sony Pictures Animation announced that the franchise was going back to its animated roots, with a fully-animated tale and a new voice cast which includesDemi Lovatoas Smurfette,Rainn Wilsonas Gargamel,Joe Manganielloas Hefty Smurf,Jack McBrayeras Clumsy Smurf,Danny Pudias Brainy Smurf andMandy Patinkinas Papa Smurf. In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!

We’re predicting thatGoing in Styleopens in fourth place with $11.6 million, withGhost in the Shellrounding out the top 5 with $8.4 million. Oscar winnersMorgan Freeman(Million Dollar Baby),Michael Caine(The Cider House Rules,Hannah and Her Sisters) andAlan Arkin(Little Miss Sunshine) team up as lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and Al, who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty, in directorZach Braff’s comedyGoing in Style. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

The film also stars two-time Oscar nomineeAnn-Margret(Tommy,Carnal Knowledge) as Annie, a grocery cashier who’s been checking Al out in more ways than one.Joey King(Wish I Was Here) stars as Joe’s whip-smart granddaughter, Brooklyn; with Oscar nomineeMatt Dillon(Crash) as FBI Agent Hamer; andChristopher Lloyd(Back to the Futuretrilogy) as the guys' lodge buddy, Milton.John Ortiz(Silver Linings Playbook) also stars as Jesus, a man of unspecified credentials who agrees to show the guys the ropes, andPeter Serafinowicz(Guardians of the Galaxy) as Joe’s former son-in-law, Murphy, whose pot clinic connections may finally prove useful.Zach Braff(Garden State) directs from a screenplay byTheodore Melfi(St. Vincent).

The Case for Christlikely won’t crack the top 10 this weekend, which will be rounded out by holdoversPower Rangers($7.8 million),Kong: Skull Island($5.2 million),Logan($3.6 million),Get Out($2.9 million) andLife($2.1 million). Also opening in limited release are Magnolia’sAlive and KickingandCezanne et moi, Neon’sColossal, Parade Deck’sThe Eyes, Fox Searchlight’sGifted, IFC’sGraduation, Well Go USA’sMine, STX Entertainment’sTheir Finest, Shout! Factor’sThe Ticket, FilmRise’sTrumanScreen Media’sThe Voidand Funimation’sYour Name. It isn’t clear at this time if any of these films are planning to expand nationwide in the weeks ahead.

Looking ahead to next weekend, Universal’s highly-anticipated sequelThe Fate of the Furiouswill open nationwide, going up against the Open Road Films animated comedySpark. Also opening in limited release is the Indican horror film7 Witches, Abramorama’s documentaryChasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, The Orchard’s documentaryJeremiah Tower, Bleecker Street’s action-adventureThe Lost City of Z, Sony Pictures Classic’s dramatic thrillerNorman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, Music Box Films' dramaA Quiet Passion, Under the Milky Way’s dramaThe Studentand Roadside Attractions' dramaTommy’s Honour. Take a look at our predictions for the weekend of April 7, and check back Sunday for the box office estimates.