Opening day: ‘Cloudy’ with a chance of $30 million

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‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ is heading toward a decent $30-million opening.Sony Pictures Animation’s third major release sold $8.1 million worth of tickets on its opening Friday. If it follows the pattern of other SPA pictures, it should end up grossing $30 million through the three-day weekend, a very similar start to that of the studio’s first animated feature, ‘Open Season,’ three years ago when factoring in ticket price inflation and the fact that more than half of the theaters playing ‘Cloudy’ are showing it in 3-D, which carries a ticket price surcharge.

Of the other three new movies, Warner Bros.’ ‘The Informant!’ opened strongest, grossing $3.7 million on Friday, meaning it should gross about $12 million for the weekend, also a decent start.

Universal’s romantic drama ‘Love Happens’ collected just over $3 million on Friday and Fox’s horror comedy ‘Jennifer’s Body’ was just below $3 million. Both will likely end up with weak opening weekends of under $10 million.

--Ben Fritz