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Box Office: Dear Paris, From John

Filed under: Action, Romance, Box Office Predictions

In its seventh week of release Avatar still outdid its closest competitor by $14 million. Here's the top five:

1. Avatar: $31.3 million
2. Edge of Darkness: $17.2 million
3. When in Rome: $12.4 million
4. The Tooth Fairy: $9.9 million
5. The Book of Eli: $8.9 million


We've got a romantic drama and an actioner this week. Will either of these be able to unseat Avatar?

Dear John
What's It All About: A young woman meets and falls in love with a soldier while he is on leave and their relationship continues as his deployments become more and more dangerous.
Why It Might Do Well: It's a timely story and Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried make for appealing leads.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The military angle probably won't be enough to get men into theatres.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $12 million

From Paris With Love
What's It All About: A low level CIA operative (John Rhys Meyers) gets his dream assignment when he is teamed with a loose cannon-type (John Travolta) who shoots first and asks questions later.
Why It Might Do Well: The trailer seems to indicate there are some high octane thrills here.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Is it just me or does Travolta look particularly creepy with his head shaved?
Number of Theaters: 2,600
Prediction: $18 million

Box Office: When on the Edge...

Filed under: Comedy, Romance, Thrillers, Box Office, Box Office Predictions

So have you heard about this movie Avatar? I hear it's doing pretty well. So well in fact that it now holds the title of second highest grossing domestic film of all time, having passed The Dark Knight this weekend. Legion and The Tooth Fairy did OK business but Extraordinary Measures opened in 8th with a mere $6 million. Here's the top five:

1. Avatar: $34.9 million
2. Legion: $17.5 million
3. The Book of Eli: $15.7 million
4. The Tooth Fairy: $14 million
5. The Lovely Bones: $8.4 million


Two new releases this week. One brooding thriller and one light romantic comedy.

Edge of Darkness
What's It All About: Mel Gibson stars in this thriller based on a BBC mini-series playing a police detective investigating the death of his political activist daughter.
Why It Might Do Well: Director Martin Campbell also helmed a pretty successful little flick called Casino Royale, as well as the original TV version of Edge of Darkness.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Mel's image has tarnished badly in recent years. Might that effect sales? We shall see.
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $24 million

When in Rome

What's It All About: Kristen Bell plays an American vacationing in Rome who plucks several coins from a love fountain and soon finds herself pursued by an equal number of colorful suitors.
Why It Might Do Well: Bell was a delight in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Veronica Mars.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Sadly the trailer gives the impression of a dopey romantic comedy.
Number of Theaters: 2,200
Prediction: $12 million

Box Office: The Legion of Extraordinary Fairies

Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Box Office Predictions

Avatar hung on to the top spot for the fifth consecutive week, now placing third in the all time domestic box office. The Book of Eli took a respectable second for its premiere and The Spy Next Door, last week's other newbie, placed sixth. Here's the top five:

1. Avatar: $42.8 million
2. The Book of Eli: $32.8 million
3. The Lovely Bones: $17 million
4. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: $11.7 million
5. Sherlock Holmes: $9.8 million

We've got three new ones hitting theaters this week:

Extraordinary Measures
What's It All About: Brendan Fraser plays a man who risks everything by funding an unconventional medical researcher (Harrison Ford) to save the lives of his children who suffer from a genetic disorder.
Why It Might Do Well: To this day, a movie starring the guy who flew the Millennium Falcon still gets my attention.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
While it may well be a good film, a story about children with a life threatening illness will be a deal breaker for many.
Number of Theaters: 2,450
Prediction: $9 million

Legion
What's It All About: A supernatural thriller in which God decides humanity is a failed experiment and sends his angels to wipe us out. The customers in an out of the way diner are mankind's first line of defense.
Why It Might Do Well: Based on the trailer this is a visually spectacular flick with some genuine creep outs.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Reminds me a bit of Constantine, which is not a good thing.
Number of Theaters: 2,400
Prediction: $12 million

Box Office: The Book of Bones Next Door

Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Box Office, Family Films, Box Office Predictions

It was not a good weekend for the newbies. Daybreakers was the only new release to make the top five with Leap Year and Youth in Revolt taking sixth and ninth respectively. Here's the top five:

1. Avatar: $48.5 million
2. Sherlock Holmes: $16.6 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: $16.3 million
4. Daybreakers: $15 million
5. It's Complicated: $11 million


Two new releases this week, with another going into wider release.

The Book of Eli
What's It All About:
In a post-apocalyptic world (not to be confused with a Post Raisin Bran world) Denzel Washington fights to protect a book that might save humanity.
Why It Might Do Well:
End of the world themes are big lately (2012, Daybreakers, The Road) so what's one more look at Armageddon among friends?
Why It Might Not Do Well: 13% at Rottentomatoes.com doesn't fill me with confidence, though at the moment that only includes 8 reviews.
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction:
$36 million

The Spy Next Door
What's It All About:
Family comedy starring Jackie Chan as a CIA agent who want to get out of the espionage game but finds his greatest challenge in winning over his fiancee's three children.
Why It Might Do Well:
Chan has made a dollar or two at the box office before, and as far as kids' flicks go those chipmunks will have to run out of steam sooner or later.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
Kids might enjoy this one but there doesn't seem to be much grown up appeal.
Number of Theaters: 2,800
Prediction:
$16 million

Box Office: Leaping, Breaking and Revolting

Filed under: Comedy, Horror, Romance, Box Office Predictions

Yup, those are the same top five movies from last week. Only the dollar figures have been changed to protect the innocent.
1. Avatar: $68.3 million
2. Sherlock Holmes: $38.4 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: $36.6 million
4. It's Complicated: $18.7 million
5. The Blind Side: $12.7 million


And here we have the first three major releases of 2010:

Daybreakers
What's It All About: In the year 2017 most of the population consists of vampires while the few remaining humans are being rounded up to be farmed for their blood. Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Neill star.
Why It Might Do Well: Daybreakers is directed by Michael and Peter Spierig who also helmed 2004's Undead which was a pretty solid little zombie flick. Perhaps these guys can do as well with blood drinkers as they can with flesh eating ghouls. And would you believe this baby is sporting a 100% Fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com?
Why It Might Not Do Well: Oh, don't be such a negative Nancy.
Number of Theaters: 2,400
Prediction: $22 million

Leap Year

What's It All About: Amy Adams plays a woman who travels to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on leap day, the one day in which that country's tradition will not permit him to turn her down.
Why It Might Do Well: Amy Adams captured my heart in Julie and Julia and Sunshine Cleaning.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The trailer left me with a strong sense of ambivalence.
Number of Theaters: 2,400
Prediction: $12 million

Box Office: Better Holmes and Chipmunks

Filed under: Action, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family Films, Box Office Predictions

Twelve years after Titanic, James Cameron once again has the number one film in America, with his science fiction epic Avatar making more money than all other films in current release combined. Things weren't quite as rosy for the romantic comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans? Here's the top five:

1. Avatar: $73 million
$77 million
2. The Princess and the Frog: $12.2 million
3. The Blind Side: $10 million
4. Did You Hear About the Morgans?: $7 million
5. The Twilight Saga: New Moon: $4.4 million


We've got three new contenders as we go into the Christmas weekend with two flicks going into wider release.

Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
(on Wednesday)
What's It All About: Those furry little CGI crooners are back for more. This time they're entering a singing contest to save their school's music program, though they face stiff competition from a trio of female singing chipmunks.
Why It Might Do Well: 2007's Alvin and the Chipmunks had a $44 million opening weekend, and let's face it, these guys have the cute going on.
Why It Might Not Do Well: It's still early but Rottentomatoes.com is giving this a paltry 22%.
Number of Theaters: 3,700
Prediction: $39 million

It's Complicated
What's It All About:
Comedy starring Meryl Streep who plays a woman who begins an affair with her remarried ex-husband played by Alec Baldwin.
Why It Might Do Well: A romantic comedy makes a good counter programmer for this week's other newbies. The cast, which also includes Steve Martin should be a big draw.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Why? Well, it's complicated.
Number of Theaters: 2,800
Prediction: $22 million

Box Office: Did You Hear About the Avatar?

Filed under: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Box Office Predictions

Disney proved that 2D animation can still draw kids and their parents in with The Princess and the Frog doing respectable dollars in its first week of wide release. Clint Eastwood's latest directorial effort Invictus did more modestly, not having what it takes to beat out The Blind Side in its fourth week. Here's the top five:

1. The Princess and the Frog: $25 million
2. The Blind Side: $15.5 million
3. Invictus: $9 million
4. The Twilight Saga: New Moon: $8 million
5. A Christmas Carol: $6.8 million


Avatar
What's It All About:
Epic science fiction adventure from James Cameron about a paraplegic ex-marine sent to infiltrate an alien race on the planet Pandora.
Why It Might Do Well: Cameron's got a resume that includes the Terminator films, Aliens and Titanic and Rottentomatoes.com is giving it 87%.
Why It Might Not Do Well: I can't decide if those aliens look cool or silly.
Number of Theaters: 3,300
Prediction: $84 million

Did You Hear About the Morgans?
What's It All About:
Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker star in this comedy as a couple on the verge of divorce who are forced into the witness protection program together.
Why It Might Do Well:
The PETA joke in the trailer made me laugh.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
I fear that PETA joke may be all the film has going for it.
Number of Theaters:
2,700
Prediction: $14 million

Box Office: Invictus Amphibious

Filed under: Animation, Drama, Box Office Predictions

None of last week's new releases managed to outdo three-week veterans The Blind Side and New Moon and after two weeks in second place The Blind Side has taken the number one spot. How often does that happen? Brothers was the only new release to land in the top five with Armored, Everybody's Fine and Transylmania landing respectively in 7th, 10th, and 21st (yikes!). Here's the top five:

1. The Blind Side: $20.4 million
2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon: $15.7 million
3. Brothers: $9.7 million
4. A Christmas Carol: $7.5 million
5. Old Dogs: $6.9 million

Two new ones this week:

Invictus
What's It All About:
Based on the true story of how Nelson Mandela and the captain of the South African national rugby team joined forces to unite their country in the early post-apartheid years.
Why It Might Do Well: The Blind Side is also based on true events and it's kicking butt all over the place. We've also got Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in front of the camera, Clint Eastwood behind it and 78% at Rottentomatoes.com.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
The title isn't particularly descriptive. It's Latin for unconquered but most people are not going to know that (I sure didn't).
Number of Theaters:
2,150
Prediction: $26 million

The Princess and the Frog

What's It All About: In this new animated feature from Disney, a girl named Tiana finds herself transformed into a frog after trying to change a slimy amphibian back into a prince with a kiss.
Why It Might Do Well:
Well, it IS Disney after all. Randy Newman who supplied the tunes for Toy Story is doing the same here and Rottentomatoes.com is giving it 81%.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
Can a 2D animated flick make it in this CGI-crazy world?
Number of Theaters: 3,300
Prediction:
$44 million

Box Office: Everybody's Armored Brothers

Filed under: Action, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Box Office, Box Office Predictions

New Moon did 70% less this week but still managed to hold onto first place. Just as interesting is that The Blind Side had an 18% increase from last week while only appearing in 30 more theaters. Old Dogs just didn't have the energy and landed back in fourth with Ninja Assassin taking sixth. Here's the top five:

1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon $42.8 million
2. The Blind Side: $40.1 million
3. 2012: $17.6 million
4. Old Dogs: $16.9 million
5. A Christmas Carol: $15.7 million

Four new releases this week:

Armored
What's It All About: A group of underpaid armored car drivers join forces to swipe a big pile of loot, though of course nothing goes as smoothly as planned. Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne star.
Why It Might Do Well: The success of Ocean's 11 and its sequels would seem to indicate there's a market for heist movies.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Unfortunately this movie lacks the flash and star power of the Ocean's series.
Number of Theaters: 1,900
Prediction: $18 million

Brothers
What's It All About:
In this remake of a 2004 Danish film Tobey Maguire plays a soldier believed to have been killed in Afghanistan while his brother helps care for his sibling's family back home.
Why It Might Do Well: With Natalie Portman playing Maguire's wife we've got three amazing leads here.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 56% at Rottentomatoes.com isn't a deal breaker but it doesn't fill me with confidence.
Number of Theaters: 2,000
Prediction: $16 million

Box Office: Foxy Ninjas and Fantastic Dogs

Filed under: Action, Animation, Comedy, Family Films, Box Office Predictions

As I'm sure everyone has heard by now, the newest Twilight film made CRAZY money over the weekend. The Blind Side made a pretty respectable showing as well, though still taking a distant second. Here's the top five:

1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon: $142.8 million
2.
The Blind Side: $34.1 million
3.
2012: $26.4 million
4.
Planet 51: $12.29 million
5.
A Christmas Carol: $12.28 million

This weeks new releases offer one part action to one part comedy, plus we have a kids film going into wider release.

Ninja Assassin
What's It All About:
A skilled assassin swears vengeance on the secret order that trained him after they murder his friend.
Why It Might Do Well: This is produced by the Wachowskis, the team behind the Matrix films, so I imagine the martial arts action will be something to behold.
Why It Might Not Do Well: A lack of star power may be a problem.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $10 million

Old Dogs
What's It All About: Robin Williams plays a middle aged man who suddenly finds out that he has six-year-old twins with a woman he hasn't seen in years, and his bachelor buddy John Travolta helps him adjust to life as a father.
Why It Might Do Well:
I really love that bit in the commercial where a terrified Seth Green sings "All Out of Love" to a gorilla.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
I suspect that gorilla gag may be all the film has to offer, as the film is only getting 10% over at Rottentomatoes.com.
Number of Theaters: 3,300
Prediction: $32 million
 
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