Franchises firm atop box office

Warner Bros.' "Rock of Ages" managed $5.3 million Friday, which translates to around $15 million for the weekend. The rock musical features Cruise, an big-name ensemble cast and is directed by Adam Shankman. The director's "Hairspray" bowed to $27 million in 2007, and analysts had thought similar numbers were possible for "Rock of Ages," but it won't hit those high box-office notes.

Sandler's first foray into R-rated comedy "That's My Boy" earned $4.6 million Friday, putting in on track for a disappointing $13 million weekend. Sony's hoping Father's Day provides a boost on Sunday, but that figure is below what the studio said it was hoping for and way under what outside analysts were predicting for the film. 

It's second misfire in a row for Sandler, whose "Jack and Jill" failed to ignite last year.

Sony's "Men in Black 3" took in $2.8 million Friday, upping its North American overall gross to $145 million.

Universal's "Snow White and the Huntsman" upped its U.S. gross to $121.7 million with a $4 million Friday, putting it on course for roughly $13 million in its third week.

Earlier ...

Tom Cruise hits the stage in the comedy musical "Rock of Ages" and Adam Sander surfaces as a bad dad in "That's My Boy" this weekend, but they'll have a tough time dislodging "Madagascar 3" from atop the box office.

"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," which will have the family market to itself until Disney bows Pixar's "Brave" next week, will repeat at No. 1 and take in around $35 million, analysts predict. 

The newcomers are expected to battle for second. Warner Bros.' "Rock of Ages" is projected to take in from the mid-twenties to $30 million, and Sony's "That's My Boy" is tracking at between the mid-twenties and $28 million, according to the analysts. That's much higher than the studios' projections, which are in the high teens.

"These aren't the kind of movies that people sound passionate about or go online to talk about, but they're both going to do significant walk-up business," Phil Contrino, editor-in-chief at BoxOffice.com told TheWrap Thursday. And if everything clicks, he said, "Rock of Ages" could pull an upset.

"It's the de facto date-night movie," Jeff Bock, Exhibitor Relations' senior analyst, told TheWrap Thursday. Women are expected to make up more than half of the movie's opening weekend audience, he said, so attracting males will be a key.