The box office continues to be one with the Force. Rogue One threepeated at the top spot with $49.5 million and closed the door on 2016 by being the second largest grossing movie of last year (domestically) with nearly $440 million in the bank. It missed the number one spot thanks to Finding Dory, but it’s still amazing how quickly it claimed the silver medal and when the final tally is determined the winner may carry a blaster.
Meanwhile, Sing held onto second place this past weekend and is looking like a bonafide winner for animation house Illumination. Other holdovers include the now controversial Passengers and Disney’s Moana. Expect a few of these to stick around throughout the usually doldrum month of January.
The Numbers Game
Each week, I will guess how much wide-release films will be making on their opening weekend. My estimates come from my heart and my gut. You’d think I’d use my brain, but that makes far too much sense. Fandom’s editor Nick Nunziata will also be providing his guesses because two stabs in the dark are better than one.
Last Week:
There were no new wide releases last week, so Nick and I took a break from prognosticating. We’re nursing our New Year’s hangovers and ready to get back into the guessing game.
This week:
Underworld: Blood Wars
The Underworld franchise is a resilient one with a truly faithful fanbase. The series has found a niche spot with January releases, but it’s never had to go up against a Star Wars movie that’s still in release. That’s going to be the biggest hurdle Underworld: Blood Wars will have to jump. Plus, it’s been five years since the last film. That kind of distance between sequels can hurt a film’s prospects as well.
My guess: $19,000,000
Nick’s guess: $15,000,000
Hidden Figures
Another strong Oscar contender hits the scene this weekend. This story about the African-American women who helped NASA during the Space Race has gotten some good buzz, but it’s always tough for more adult fare to find its footing in its first weekend. And Rogue One is still going to cause some movies to open lower than they might normally. Hidden Figures, no matter how good it might be, is going to fall victim to that.
My guess: $10,000,000
Nick’s guess: $12,000,000
A Monster Calls
This emotional fantasy film is finally getting a wide release. You can check out Nick’s review above, and according to him, it sounds like this is not one to miss. The strange concept might turn some audiences off but it’s likely this will be a film that finds its crowd later in life. Really, the box office is still going to be owned by Rogue One. Let’s hope this can make a little bit of an impact.
My guess: $12,000,000
Nick’s guess: $6,000,000
See you next week, box office buddies!
Source: Box Office Mojo
