'One Direction' Seeks No. 1 Over

Sony's 3D concert pic could reach $20 million for top spot

Teenage girls are falling hard for One Direction’s concert movie but it’s the adult audiences’ unwavering support of Oprah’s “The Butler” that continues to impress at the U.S. box office.

The White House drama should earn approximately $18 million over the Labor Day weekend, according to early ticket sales, putting the Weinstein Company pic within striking distance of a third-consecutive box office victory.
Sony’s 3D “One Direction: This Is Us,” directed by Morgan Spurlock, is currently in line for $19 million over the Labor Day weekend and would become only the third concert movie to debut at #1 at the box office if it can stay ahead of “The Butler.”
But again, as of Friday afternoon, the No. 1 position was entirely up for grabs.
This weekend’s other newcomer, WB’s Selena Gomez’s “Getaway,” is screeching toward a $6 million debut. Pic, luckily for the studio, only cost a modest $18 million to produce.
“The Butler,” which was made for only $30 million, has already grossed twice that domestically and could be benefiting this weekend from Thursday’s Martin Luther King March in Washington.
Starring Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker, the civil rights drama is also one of the few choices for adult audiences at the traditionally dismal late summer box office.
Another good bet is WB’s “We’re the Millers,” starring Jennifer Aniston, which will cross the $100 million mark by Saturday with $14 million this weekend
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