‘Going in Style’ Tops ‘Smurfs: The Lost Village’ at Thursday Box Office

New Line’s remake of “Going in Style” launched with a moderate $600,000 on Thursday night, while Sony’s animated “Smurfs: The Lost Village” debuted with $375,000.

“Going in Style,” starring Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin, and Michael Caine, is expected to open to a quiet $8 million Friday-Sunday during the pre-Easter weekend when it premieres at 3,601 sites. “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” which played at 2,731 sites on Thursday, is forecast to take in around $15 million at 3,061 locations, while Pure Flix’s faith-based “The Case for Christ” has been projected to reel in about $5 million at 1,175 venues.

Holdovers will probably dominate the weekend. Fox’s second weekend of the animated comedy “The Boss Baby” is likely to repeat as the winner of the domestic box office, earning around $25 million, following its surprisingly strong $50.2 million opening at 3,773 sites. “Boss Baby” grossed $1.5 million during Thursday night previews on March 30.

Disney’s fourth frame of “Beauty and the Beast” will probably come in second in the $20 million range at 4,210 locations. The live-action smash has grossed more than $404 million domestically in its first 20 days.

“Going in Style” is a reboot of the 1979 heist comedy about a gang of geriatrics who turn to bank robbery to enliven their retirements. George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg played the unlikely felons. Zach Braff directs the new pic, with New Line and Village Roadshow partnering on the comedy, which cost an economical $25 million to bring to screens.

“Smurfs: The Lost Village” is Sony’s third iteration of the franchise of wide-eyed, blue humanoids living in mushroom-shaped houses. The studio’s live action-CGI “The Smurfs” grossed $563.7 million globally in 2011, followed by 2013’s “The Smurfs 2,” which made $347.5 million worldwide on a $105 million budget.

“The Lost Village” was shot entirely CGI, resulting in substantial cost savings. The latest film carries a $60 million budget. Sony is banking on stronger overseas results.

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