Tom Hanks’ Inferno Gets Off To A Slow Start At The Box Office

This weekend is looking to be a slow one for movie fans, with only one major studio release in the form of Ron Howard's Inferno. Starring Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones, the third movie in Sony's Da Vinci Code series might not have a lot of competition in the theater, but that doesn't mean it's looking at a good weekend. The numbers for Thursday screenings have come in and it looks like Inferno won't be blazing its way to any box office records.

According to The Wrap, Inferno debuted on Thursday night with a total of $800,000. The mystery thriller is currently projected to take in $25 million for the weekend, which would still earn it the number one spot among its competition. However, that's only half of what its predecessor Angels & Demons made when it opened in 2009, though Inferno has half the budget of that film so it may even out. While $800,000 isn't much to boast about, it's still a higher debut than Ron Howard's last film, Into the Heart of the Sea, which made $575,000 on its opening night.

Tom Hank's other big release this fall, Sully, faired a little better. Sully raked in $1.35 million on its debut night, making it Hanks' third highest live action debut with $35, falling right behind -- coincidentally enough -- The Da Vinci Code ($77 million) and Angels & Demons ($46 million). Inferno will officially be the lowest debut for the entire series.

Inferno may be the only new release of the weekend, but its main competition comes from outside the movie theater and not within. There's plenty going on this weekend to distract folks from taking a trip to the cinema. We're currently in the middle of a historic World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians. The Cubs have not been to the Series since 1908, which completely eclipses the seven years it's been since the last Da Vinci Code movie. On top of the regular NFL games on Sunday, Halloween falls on a Monday this year, which means most parties will be taking place this weekend. There are just too many things to do this weekend to spare time to see Inferno.

Though it's still a lackluster weekend, Inferno will likely reign supreme. Its main competition in theaters comes from Boo! A Madea Halloween, which debuted last weekend to a solid $35 million. Following behind Madea is Tom Cruise and his sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Jack Reacher is expecting to bring in $11 million this weekend while Madea is looking at $17 million, making its total box office gross around $52 million.