A scene from TriStar Pictures' sci-fi thriller DISTRICT 9.
Five wide releases hitting theaters in mid-August smack of inventory-clearing, yet one of the pictures could become a late-summer sleeper hit and another could reap solid counter-programing business.
A well-received promo event at Comic-Con stoked prerelease buzz on the sci-fi actioner "District 9," and early reviews for the Peter Jackson-produced film have been fervid.
Directed by Neill Blomkamp -- a South African commercials veteran getting his first feature credit -- Sony's R-rated pic is tracking best with male youngsters, and a debut north of $25 million looks likely.
"It's a picture that will open well and then can continue to broaden," Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said. "It's got a lot of facets to it. On the surface it's a science fiction picture, but it's more. The movie has a lot of heart."
Based on Blomkamp's film short "Alive in Joburg," "District 9" was shot in Johannesburg and tells the story of extraterrestrials who become refugees in South Africa.
