http://variety.com/2013/film/news/after-earth-plummets-to-mid-20-million-weekend-now-you-see-me-close-behind-1200490474/

Box Office: ‘After Earth’ Plummets to Mid-$20 Million Weekend, ‘Now You See Me’ Close Behind

UPDATE: M. Night Shyamalan and Sony’s “After Earth” is cratering at the domestic box office, with an estimated $10 million Friday and paltry $25 million-plus weekend, according to early estimates.

The $130 million film was expected to launch in the $35 million-$40 million range but those figures are long gone.

Summit/Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me” is trailing close behind with north of $20 million for the weekend, an impressive and somewhat surprising haul for the Jesse Eisenberg caper.

Universal’s “Fast & Furious 6,” meanwhile, will easily take the No. 1 position with an estimated $40 million in its second week of release.

************

In a surprising development, Summit’s “Now You See Me” earned $1.5 million Thursday night at the U.S. box office, beating director M. Night Shyamalan and Sony’s $1 million launch for “After Earth.”

“Now You See Me,” which cost nearly $75 million compared to “After Earth’s” estimated $130 million budget, opened at 7 p.m. Thursday night, while the Will Smith-Jaden Smith actioner bowed at 9 p.m.

Still, the numbers are a troubling sign for Sony and Shyamalan, who has been all but M.I.A. in the studio’s marketing campaign.