‘Lucy’: Scarlett Johansson’s Movie Off To A Strong Start At The Box Office

Lucy, the latest movie to explore Scarlett Johansson’s butt-kicking abilities, is off to an extremely good start this weekend. In fact, some analysts believe Luc Besson’s action flick will trump Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules at the box office.

Although some people have taken issue with the inherent silliness of the film’s admittedly ridiculous plot, Lucy doesn’t really strive to do anything other than entertain moviegoers for 90 minutes. Besson and Johnasson do their best to make that happen, and for the most part, they succeed in their mission. If you go into this flick looking for depth or believability, then you’ve purchased the wrong ticket.

Despite the lukewarm reviews from critics who have obviously forgotten that it’s the summer movie season, Lucy seems to have connected with the masses. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie earned between $12 million and $14 million at the box office on Friday. This means Lucy is well on her way to dominating Brett Ratner’s Hercules and Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of this Apes this weekend.

Unfamiliar with Lucy? This is how Universal describes the flick:

“From ‘La Femme Nikita’ and ‘The Professional’ to ‘The Fifth Element,’ writer/director Luc Besson has created some of the toughest, most memorable female action heroes in cinematic history. Now, Besson directs Scarlett Johansson in ‘Lucy,’ an action-thriller that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.”

Although that synopsis does a pretty good job of singing Luc Besson’s praises, it doesn’t set the stage very well. If you’re planning to check out Lucy this weekend, then you might want to gawk at the trailer beforehand. The clip is hanging out below.

While this movie geek has nothing but love for Lucy, I really didn’t expect for the flick to overpower Hercules at the box office. After all, Dwayne Johnson is essentially this generation’s action hero. When he decides to battle bad guys at the box office, people pay good money to see it happen. Unfortunately for Johnson, his take on the aforementioned legend is having a difficult time toppling Lucy in the U.S.

Early estimates place Hercules at around $11 million on Friday, which puts it on-track to earn around $29 million this weekend. Lucy, meanwhile, should gross approximately $35 million during its first three days of release. This is certainly good news for Universal Pictures, though the studio is no doubt surprised about the early lead.

Are you planning to catch Lucy on the big screen this weekend?

[Lead image via Universal Pictures]