This weekend sees the release of one of the most anticipated films of the year. Sure, we get handful of big superhero blockbusters every year now, but with Beauty and the Beast, we are seeing a remake of a beloved classic that many are, surprisingly enough, rather optimistic about. Usually, remakes like this are met with nothing more than pessimism, but given the strength in casting and the strong visuals, it seems like many are willing to bypass their normal jaded nature — this writer included.

The enthusiasm sure seems to be carrying over to the box office, as evidenced by Thursday’s numbers. According to Box Office Mojo, the film took in $16.3 million in its Thursday previews alone. For comparison, Batman v Superman took in $27.7 million (and ended its opening weekend with $166 million), and The Hunger Games took in $19.7 million (and ended its weekend with $152 million).

So what does this mean for the resulting weekend numbers? Our very own Edward Douglas recently updated his prediction to $152.3 million, with Kong: Skull Island coming in at a distant second for the weekend at $28.5 million.

To see the reasoning behind Edward’s predictions, be sure to check out his column!

His prediction actually seems to fall in line pretty well with Box Office Mojo’s take, which has the film pegged to take in between $150-$170 million domestically in its opening weekend. Also of note is the fact that this flies in the face of their standard projections. Were this a normal film, they’d peg it around $112-$134 million, but considering the fact that this is an anomalistic case, they upped their projections. This is closer to what Ed believes is the magic number, but he thinks the higher end of their range is a bit too high.

So what will the final numbers be? We’ll have to wait and see how it all shakes out. While the film is already aiming high, the nostalgia factor cannot be underestimated.

What about you? Will you be seeing Beauty and the Beast and adding to its numbers? Let us know in the comments down below!

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SOURCE: Box Office Mojo