Weekly Anticipation Index: 'Jennifer's Body,' 'Love Happens' and 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'

Featured Stories - on July 25, 2009 by Phil Contrino

Megan Fox will try to carry the high school horror flick Jennifer's Body on her own this September.

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This week, we've added three new titles to our Anticipation Index. Jennifer's Body, Love Happens and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs all open on September 18.

Fresh off the success of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Megan Fox has become a much bigger star. Jennifer's Body will test Fox's drawing power without the aid of a popular franchise, and it's a test she's likely to pass. Based on the trailer that recently premiered, Body appears to have a tongue-in-cheek attitude that will set it apart from other horror flicks. Expect the Fox Atomic release to open strong.

Jennifer Aniston is on a hot streak after Marley & Me and He's Just Not That Into You, so she'll try to keep that going with Love Happens. Her love interest in the film is Aaron Eckhart, and Eckhart's profile has improved considerably thanks to his supporting turn as Harvey Two-Face in The Dark Knight. Happens should make a perfect date film.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs represents another 3D flick, and it features an impressive slate of celebrity voices from Andy Samberg to Neil Patrick Harris. While it won't be as successful as Disney's 3D release or even Monsters vs. Aliens from Dreamworks, Cloudy should deliver respectable numbers.

Check out our predictions for those films as well as other upcoming releases in the table below.



Weekly Anticipation Index, July 25, 2009
Title Release Date Distributor Opening Weekend Cumulative
Funny People July 31 Universal $34M $105M
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra August 7 Paramount $40M $100M
Julie & Julia August 7 Sony/Columbia $20M $70M
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard August 14 Paramount Vantage $13M $40M
The Time Traveler's Wife August 14 Warner Bros./New Line $14M $43M
District 9 August 14 Sony $19M $57M
Shorts August 21 Warner Bros. $13M $42M
Inglourious Basterds August 21 The Weinstein Company $22M $60M
Halloween 2 August 28 The Weinstein Company $28M $62M
The Final Destination August 28 Warner Bros./New Line $19M $50M
Gamer September 4 Lionsgate $15M $35M
All About Steve September 4 Fox 2000 $27M $80M
9 September 9 Focus $14M $45M
Sorority Row September 11 Summit $15M $35M
Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All by Myself September 11 Lionsgate $36M $78M
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs September 18 Sony/Columbia $17M $57M
Love Happens September 18 Focus $15M $45M
Jennifer's Body September 18 Fox Atomic $21M $50M

Additional reporting by Daniel Garris.

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