Denzel Washington’s ‘Equalizer’ likely to beat ‘Boxtrolls’ at box office

Leave it to Denzel Washington to bring another likely hit film to the box office.

The actor’s latest, “The Equalizer,” is poised to gross $28 million to $33 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, according to those who have seen prerelease audience surveys.

The R-rated action film, produced by Sony Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, cost roughly $55 million to make. The studios say they are expecting $25 million to $30 million.

Washington plays Robert McCall as he tries to help Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of Russian gangsters.

According to Fandango, the nation’s largest online ticket company, “The Equalizer” is outpacing advance ticket sales for two previous hits starring Washington, “2 Guns” and “Safe House,” at the same point in those films’ sales cycles.

“The Equalizer” is the latest collaboration between Washington and director Antoine Fuqua, who worked together on the hit “Training Day.” That 2001 film, which won Washington an Oscar, topped the box office and grossed $22.5 million in its debut. It went on to take in a total of $76.3 million.

In Fandango’s survey of more than 1,000 ticket buyers, 93% described themselves as Washington fans and 85% said they saw “Training Day.”

The Washington box-office allure shouldn’t come as a surprise: All 10 of the actor’s last wide releases, including “Flight” (released in 2013) and “Deja Vu” (released in 2006), have opened to more than $20 million.

Meanwhile, stop-motion animated entrant “The Boxtrolls” is expected to gross $12 million to $16 million. That would put it in a tight competition for the No. 2 spot with last weekend’s winner “The Maze Runner,” which could take in up to $18 million in its second weekend.

“The Boxtrolls,” which comes from the creators behind Academy Award-nominated films “Coraline” and “Paranorman,” follows a family of quirky creatures who have raised a human boy named Eggs.

It is likely to draw in families and younger moviegoers. The studio hopes the film will gross $15 million, on par with tracking figures.

“The Maze Runner” follows Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), who is deposited into a community of young men in a postapocalyptic world. After learning that they are trapped in a maze, he joins fellow “runners” to try to escape.

The film, which was directed by Wes Ball and cost about $34 million to make, earned generally positive reviews from critics and received a grade of A-minus from audience polling firm CinemaScore.

Based on the bestselling young-adult novel by James Dashner, the film has been especially popular among people under the age of 25.

Comedy-drama “This Is Where I Leave You” and Liam Neeson thriller “A Walk Among the Tombstones” will likely round out the top five by adding roughly $5 million to $6 million in their sophomore weekend.

In limited markets, CBS Films will release its gay and labor rights drama “Pride,” which has been well-received by critics. As of Thursday, the film had notched a 95% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

For more news on the entertainment industry, follow me @saba_h