Weekend Forecast: 'Minions', 'The Gallows', & 'Self/Less'

Three new releases hit theaters this weekend, and one in particular looks to make a big splash in what's already been a historic summer.

Minions

PROS:

- Spinning off the most popular characters (by far) from the Despicable Me films isn't just smart, it's timely with only two years having passed since their last appearance on-screen.
- The film's overseas launch has already done excellent business, something that should translate similarly to North America.
- Twitter, Facebook, and Flixster activity have all impressed.

CONS:

- Reviews indicate this entry in the franchise won't be as well received as the Despicable flicks, but that probably won't affect the opening weekend in a major way considering the target audience.
- It's possible that social media activity (particularly Twitter) is inflated by the film's advance overseas release.
- Did Pixar's Inside Out steal some blockbuster thunder from this flick as the former continues to hold very well since its record opening?

The Gallows

PROS:

- The sheer lack of horror hits in 2015 leaves the space wide open for something to connect with fans of the genre.
- Twitter activity is notably strong this week.
- The film's Facebook page has grown at a healthy rate in recent weeks, although overall fan totals are still very modest.

CONS:

- Reviews don't suggest this will be the movie to breakout for the horror genre, especially since its audience pays very close attention to early reactions.
- Flixster buzz is very poor, posting the fewest votes of any major horror film in wide release this year.
- In a busy summer, it's likely this film is overlooked and/or skipped until the post-theatrical market.

Self/Less

PROS:

- Adults looking for something other than a summer blockbuster might opt for this.
- This year's been kind to smaller profile films in the sci-fi genre finding an audience. 

CONS:

- Ryan Reynolds isn't known for his ability to draw at the box office.
- Social media activity leaves much to be desired across the board.
- Reviews aren't in the film's favor, making matters worse given its already-low profile. 

Top 10 Forecast

BoxOffice forecasts this weekend's top ten films will accumulate approximately $196.6 million. That would represent a 47 percent improvement from the same frame last year, which rang up $133.8 million -- driven by the excellent $72.6 million debut of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Check out our complete weekend forecast in the table below.

Phil Contrino, Daniel Garris, Alex Edghill, and Shawn Robbins contributed to this report.