Universal's sci-fi/action film Battleship will face the titanic might of The Avengers this weekend and will likely wind up scuppered, according to most analysts' forecasts. In its third weekend, the superhero epic is expected to earn around $50-55 million, about half what it did a week ago. But, according to tracking reports, Battleship , which cost nearly as much to produce -- around $225 million -- may only earn around $30-35 million. The film was released overseas a month ago, ostensibly to avoid having to compete against the Olympics and the European soccer championships. But with little competition, the movie raked in more than $220 million, enough to assure that it will at least break even. In any case, it's almost certain to beat two other newcomers at the domestic box office, the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy The Dictator and the romcom What to Expect When Your Expecting. The Dictator opened on Wednesday with a so-so $4.2 million and may likely rake in an additional $15 million by the end of the weekend. Perhaps tellingly, it received just a C Grade from moviegoers polled by researchers CinemaScore; critics gave it a mixed reception. On the other hand, reviews have been overwhelmingly negative for Lionsgate's Expecting, which is expecting around $15-20 million in ticket sales.

18/05/2012