BOX OFFICE FORECAST: SUNNY WITH MEATBALLS

The box office has already experienced a strong September, but the final weekend could become its strongest ever, with several analysts predicting a record opening for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and solid performances for the debuting romantic comedies Don Jon and Baggage Claim and the expanding Ron Howard Formula 1 racing drama Rush. According to tracking studies, Meatballs 2 is likely to open with $40-45 million, helped by the widest September release ever — more than 4,000 theaters — and a short 95-minute running time, allowing it to get additional screenings. However, distributor Sony is playing it more conservatively, predicting ticket sales to come in at around $33 million. The current September record is held by 2012’s Hotel Transylvania, which opened with $42.5 million. Don Jon (also a short 90 minutes), Rush, and Baggage Claim are expected to open in the $8-12-million range.