'Immortals' to check the B.O. gods

Relativity Media has something to prove a few days ago as Ryan Kavanaugh's newbie distrib launches its first large-budget homegrown worldwide release, three dimensional effort "Immortals," right into a depressed domestic market -- particularly because the under-25 auds the swords-and-sandals epic is relationship have lately remained from theaters.The film bows today at 3,112 Stateside locations, which about 70% have been in three dimensional, by having an additional 31 day-and-date worldwide marketplaces via local distribs.Also bowing Stateside are Sony's Adam Sandler PG-ranked "Jack and Jill," at 3,438 playdates, while Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar" goes wide at 1,910 locations. Warner Bros. released the pic limited on Wednesday, generating $52,645 from seven locations in NY, L.A., Bay Area, Chicago and Washington, D.C."Immortals" is anticipated to win the weekend with a few $25 million, adopted carefully by third-week holdover "Puss in Boots" and "Jack and Jill," both monitoring within the low-$20 millions.While bizzers eagerly anticipate B.O. outcomes of Relativity's first inhouse blockbuster, Kavanaugh, who spoke Tuesday at Variety's Way forward for Film Summit, strongly stated that box office makes up about merely a small part of a film's profitability: "The practical the truth is -- box office is 20% from the cake, and it is somewhat irrelevant.""Immortals" will test that theory.Relativity is uncovered for $75 million from the film's near-$90 million budget, after tax savings and foreign pre-sales, by having an roughly $35 million P&A spend that's shared by marketing partner Virgin Created. The studio stated it's certain that a $25 million opening would place the film on the right track to go into the black.Even when "Immortals" cumes $75 million locally -- an positive three-occasions multiple, because of the holiday play period -- Relativity still shares half the B.O. with participants. Ancillary profits, together with a Netflix deal, can help raise the pic's main point here, though bizzers wonder if it will likely be enough.Pic should attract worldwide auds, but Relativity's business m.o. of pre-selling foreign privileges may prevent it from enjoying much from the potential overseas bonanza. And domestic B.O. conditions happen to be sluggish recently, particularly with under-25 auds not striking the plexes.PG-ranked "Jack and Jill," allocated in a reported $80 million, should attract a mostly family aud, in addition to fans of Sandler. Pic will compete for families with "Puss," that could see a small amount of around 35% in the third frame. "Puss in Boots" may hold much better than that, however, thinking about the toon's greatly impressive 3% drop a week ago.Warner's "J. Edgar," meanwhile, is forecasted to gross $ten million-$12 million through Sunday -- consistent with 2006's "Flags in our Fathers," which cumed $33.six million.The Leonardo DiCaprio-brought biopic must have a powerful hang on the adult market the B.O.'s existing over-25 gamers, for example "Moneyball" and "The Ides of March," enter their eighth and sixth frames, correspondingly.In the niche B.O., Magnolia launches Lars von Trier's Cannes champion "Melancholia" at 15 locations in eight marketplaces.Fox Searchlight's "Martha Marcy May Marlene," which performed nicely a week ago at 98 locations, grows in the 4th frame to 183 playdates. Stateside cume is $1.two million.Vital Vantage's "ConstantlyInch increases to 70 engagements, up from 16 a week ago. Cume is much more than $500,000. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com