Back in 2015, Kingsman: The Secret Service was a sleeper hit. The sleek and cheeky spy thriller was a good time at the movies, and now 20th Century Fox is hoping that lightning will strike twice. Kingsman: The Golden Circle drops in September, right at the tail end of one of the roughest summers in recent box office history. Most sequels haven't fared too well, so how is The Golden Circle stacking against the original? Early tracking indicates that the gentleman spy sequel is looking at a bigger opening weekend than its predecessor.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is projected to open in the $40 million to $45 million range when it lands in domestic theaters later in September. Comparatively, Kingsman: The Secret Service debuted in February 2015 to $36.2 million. While not a major change, it's an increase nonetheless and this summer has seen almost every blockbuster sequel perform less than a previous entry in the series (See: Transformers, Pirates of the Carribean). The first Kingsman went on to gross $414.4 million globally, and it remains to be seen just yet if The Golden Circle can compete with those numbers.
That's not to say The Golden Circle isn't stepping with its best foot forward. The key players from the first movie all return in the sequel (including the scene-stealing standout, Colin Firth) and they are joined by A-list names like Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, Julianne Moore, and Jeff Bridges. Star power doesn't mean what it used to, but it's still a kickass cast. Writer-director Matthew Vaughn also returns helm the movie, which will be his first sequel. And it looks like he's brought the gonzo action and style back with him in full force.
Outperforming its predecessor isn't the only thing Kingsman: The Golden Circle has to worry about opening weekend. It'll be opening opposite Ninjago, a spinoff of The LEGO Movie. That animated movie is tracking (via THR) to open in the $35 million to $40 million range. The LEGO series has produced some high-quality entertainment so far and could prove to be a roadblock for Kingsman. But the two cater to entirely different audiences, so perhaps that weekend is big enough for the both of them.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle continues the adventures of Eggsy (Taron Egerton), as a spy of the highest class. After the Kingsman headquarters is destroyed in a mysterious attack, Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong) will journey across the bond to seek help from their American counterparts, Statesman.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle will hit theaters on September 22, 2017. For all the big movie releases still left to go for the rest of the year, head on over to our 2017 movie release guide.
