Each Thursday we look at what is going to be coming out in theaters this weekend, show you the trailers for the big releases, predict the box office winner and just generally give you enough of a carrot to pull you through the rest of the work week.  April 1st has a number of small pictures opening, as this week was pretty much ceded by the studios to Batman vs. Superman’s continuing run (though if something big opened against it, I wonder how it would do given the blowback the super hero epic has received).  

SEVEN new pictures are out this weekend, but whether you’ll see them or not depends on the size of your local multiplex.  Three of the films: The Witch, Everybody Wants Some, and The Dark Horse are all getting rave reviews.  The Witch is probably the biggest release, and the horror film is being well-received.  Director Richard Linklater follows up his Oscar-nominated Boyhood with Everybody Wants Some.  The Dark Horse tells the true story of an unlikely group of chess champions.  Last year’s Christian film, God’s Not Dead, gets another installment.  Mike Epps headlines Meet the Blacks.  Then we have two music biopics as Don Cheadle plays Miles Davis in Miles Ahead and Tom Hiddleston plays Hank Williams in I Saw the Light.  Batman vs. Superman should still dominate the weekend, but The Witch might prove a strong contender for those disheartened by BvS reviews.  This weekend is also the NCAA Final Four, so there’s a lot of elements that may contribute to a big drop-off from DC Comics triumph at the box office last week.

The Dark Horse (Cliff Curtis, R, 2hr 4min)

Everybody Wants Some (Blake Jenner, R, 1hr 58min)

God’s Not Dead 2 (Melissa Joan Hart, PG, 2hr 1min)

I Saw the Light (Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, R, 2hr 3min)

Meet the Blacks (Mike Epps, R, 1hr 30min)

Miles Ahead (Don Cheadle, R, 1hr 40min

The Witch (Anya Taylor-Joy, R, 1hr 34min)

HOW DID WE DO LAST WEEK?
Not that it was a hard call to make, but we predicted Batman vs. Superman would open huge and it did with $166 million. (Lifetime record 3-1!)

WHO WILL WIN THE WEEKEND?
How much is poor word-of-mouth going to hurt Batman vs. Superman?  Despite it’s strong opening, the film dropped 58% from Friday to Saturday and another 46% from Saturday to Sunday last weekend.  Despite critical acclaim for several of this week’s openers, I think it’s almost a guarantee BvS repeats at the top.  It certainly would be a financial disaster for Warner Brothers if it doesn’t.