‘Insurgent’ Box Office: Sequel set to Break ‘Divergent’ Record

By Cheri Cheng - 18 Mar '15 10:40AM

Liongate's '"Insurgent" is expected to break the "Divergent" debut record.

Based on pre-release tracking numbers, the sequel to last year's futuristic movie, which stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James, is expected to bring in around $57 to $60 million. "Divergent," which came out before Woodley's highly popular film, "The Fault in Our Stars," made $54.6 million in its debut.

"Her stock is a bit higher than it was when she starred in the first movie," said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, reported by Variety. "That fanbase is going to lead to a bit of a boost. The marketing has been really aggressive, and I think that's connecting. There's been a widening of the base."

"Insurgent," based on the second book in Veronica Roth's trilogy, cost $110 million to produce, which is about $25 million more than the first film. Although it cost more to make, "Insurgent" will have the opportunity to make more money since it will also be released in 3D and in Imax.

The profits that the movie will make will also be highly dependent on the international market. When "Divergent" came out, nearly 50 percent of the $288.7 million profit came from global sales. With the increased popularity of the series, the international box office numbers are expected to be higher. The film will open in 74 global markets this week.

"The international results are going to be much higher because the franchise is now much better known," said Tuna Amobi of Standard and Poors. "In some respects, 'Divergent' underperformed internationally."

"Insurgent" also stars Oscar-winners Kate Winslet and Octavia Spencer, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Zoë Kravitz.

Other openings this weekend include "The Gunman" and "Do You Believe," but "Insurgent's" biggest competitor will be "Cinderella," which is heading into its second weekend. "Cinderella" had a $67.9 million debut last weekend.