We're only a few weeks away from the summer movie season officially kicking off, which means there will be no shortage of blockbusters populating theaters. But if you're looking to enjoy some cinematic action sooner than that, one of your options is Rampage, which opens in theaters nationwide tomorrow. The Dwayne Johnson-led flick is the latest video game adaptation for the silver screen, and so far critical reception has been mixed. Commercially, on the other hand, Rampage looks like it will do quite well for itself at the box office, as it's predicted to make between $37 million and $40 million domestically this weekend.
Fresh off Dwayne Johnson's last movie, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, becoming Sony's highest-grossing domestic release (knocking 2002's Spider-Man from the #1 spot), Variety is reporting that Rampage will likely be the box office champ this weekend, overtaking A Quiet Place, which is expected to pull in between $28 million and $30 million. However, because Rampage was made off a $120 million budget, it won't be enough for Rampage to draw in the big bucks stateside. The movie will also need to do well overseas for it to be profitable. The other big release this weekend, Blumhouse's Truth or Dare, is tracking to pull around $16 million.
Although Rampage is loosely based off the classic video games of the same name, it's not exactly a well-known property with a huge fanbase. Fortunately, with Dwayne Johnson as the lead actor, that will ideally do wonders with putting butts in seats, both in the United States and around the world. From the Fast and the Furious movies to Central Intelligence, Johnson has become one of Hollywood's biggest stars in recent years, so you can bet that a lot of folks will check out Rampage just to see The Rock do what he does best: punch bad guys, avoid explosions and act charming (which sometimes all happens at the same time).
Rampage follows Dwayne Johnson's Davis Okoye, a primatologist who has a close relationship with a silverback gorilla named George. When George, a wolf named Ralph and an alligator named Lizzie are exposed to an experimental gas that turns them into gigantic, aggressive beasts, Davis must work to stop the trio from destroying the United States and learn who turned them into these monstrosities. Rampage's cast also includes Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Joe Manganiello, Jake Lacy and Marley Shelton. This is Johnson's second collaboration with director Brad Peyton, the two of them previously working together on 2015's San Andreas.
To find out what we here at CinemaBlend thought of Rampage, read our review. As for what other movies are coming out this year (including Dwayne Johnson's next blockbuster Skyscraper, which opens on July 13), you can find release date information in our 2018 premiere guide.
