Box Office Results: February 8-10

If this weekend’s East Coast blizzard had a negative effect on the box office, it sure didn’t seem to hinder the Melissa McCarthy comedy Identity Thief very much. In my predictions post this past Wednesday, I wrote that the film, costarring Jason Bateman, could gross anywhere from $16 to $36 million dollars. I chose to hedge my bets, though, with its negative reviews and predicted a $22.1 million opening, while stating it could go much bigger.

Well, I was wrong on my prediction and right about the much bigger part. Identity Thief grossed a terrific $34.6 million over the weekend frame, solidifying McCarthy’s status as a major comedic movie star. Her supporting role in 2011’s Bridesmaids (complete with an Oscar nomination) got the wheels in motion. Identity Thief and its fantastic opening puts her in another realm. The opening bodes well for her next features, the buddy cop comedy The Heat with Sandra Bullock. That movie was moved from April to June, signaling a high amount of confidence from the studio to put it in summer competition. Even if The Heat gets the kind of mediocre reviews Thief achieved, expect it to be a big player at the box office this summer. McCarthy’s box office success may be bad news for fans of her CBS sitcom “Mike&Molly”. You really have to wonder how long she stays on that program with her blossoming film career.

While Identity Thief was certainly a box office bright spot, all-around grosses were approximately 45% lower than the same weekend in 2012 when The Vow and Safe House both posted debuts above $40 million.

Steven Soderbergh’s generally well-reviewed Side Effects had a lackluster $9.3 million opening, lower than my $11.5M forecast. It was last weekend’s champ, Warm Bodies, that took the #2 position with an $11.4 million gross, slightly higher than my $10.6M estimate.

In fourth, Silver Linings Playbook made $6.9 million, just above my $6.4M projection and Hansel&Gretel: Witch Hunters was fifth in its third weekend with $5.8 million, a better hold than my $4M estimate.

Be sure to check back Wednesday for my forecast for next weekend when some heavy hitters enter the frame with four debuts: A Good Day to Die Hard, Safe Haven, Beautiful Creatures, and the animated Escape from Planet Earth.