Film industry analysts are predicting that it will be far from plain sailing at the box office for In the Heart of the Sea, the new big budget adventure which includes Irish actors Brendan Gleeson, Sam Keeley and Cillian Murphy among its cast.
The Ron Howard-directed film, which also stars Chris Hemsworth, Ben Whishaw and Tom Holland, opened in 38 overseas markets at the weekend to a disappointing $18.5 million. Its Irish release is scheduled for December 26.
In the Heart of the Sea's production budget is estimated around the $100m mark with trade publications expecting it to take between $12 million and $15 million when it opens in the US on Friday. Reviews have been mixed to date.
For a film with a €100m price tag, key US entertainment industry website Deadline.com says a $40m opening is needed for the ship to come in, especially with the juggernaut that is Star Wars: The Force Awakens arriving next week.
In the Heart of the Sea's original US release was scheduled for March but was then postponed until December so that it would be more prominent during awards season.
The film tells the true story of the Essex, a ship which was attacked by a whale and became the inspiration for Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick. In the Heart of the Sea is based on Nathaniel Philbrick's best-selling book of the same name.
