BOX OFFICE SETS SAIL WITH DAWN TREADER; TOURIST ALSO ABOARD

After spending two weeks in the doldrums, the box office is expected to set sail again with the release of 20th Century Fox’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the Angelina Jolie/Johnny Depp starrer, The Tourist. Both are expensive productions, although Dawn Treader‘s budget of around $145 million is down 36 percent from the $225 million that the previous Narnia installment, Prince Caspian, cost, when Disney controlled the franchise. Tourist reportedly cost $100 million to make. Analysts expect the new Narnia flick to lead with $35-45 million this weekend. The Tourist may only make $15-20 million, according to published forecasts, which say that the movie, despite its high-priced leads, is attracting little buzz. (But it is attracting mostly terrible reviews).

UPDATE: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader claimed the top spot at the box office on Friday but with only about $8 million, according to Daily Variety. The Tourist placed second with $6 million, while the third week of Tangled came in third with $3.4 million.