Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, and Halle Berry enter the box office fray this weekend and try to muster up some competition for the second weekend of the biggest movie of the year so far, Oz The Great and Powerful as it enters weekend #2.
Neither title is likely to provide much of a threat for Oz to stay strong at the number spot. A better question is how far Oz falls in its sophomore frame. The Sam Raimi directed fantasy prequel opened to an impressive $79.1 million last weekend. A 50% drop or more is certainly possible, but with fairly weak competitors, I am projecting it won’t drop quite that far.
Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Carrey headline the new comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. There is certainly a lot of talent involved here, but I must admit the trailers have underwhelmed me a bit. Wonderstone just doesn’t seem strong enough to be a comedy the masses will rush out and see, even with the principals involved. Reviews have been mixed and shouldn’t contribute to any positive buzz. I would say anything over $20 million for it would be solid and that’s not out of the question, but I’m not sold and will predict it doesn’t reach that mark.
The weekend’s other new entry is the thriller The Call starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin. Ms. Berry’s box office record has been spotty, at best, over the last several years and I don’t expect this to change her fortunes. Frankly, the trailers for this make it look like a direct-to-DVD or Lifetime movie if it wasn’t for the star’s involvement. Having said that, The Call is the type of film that could surprise… or completely bomb. I put the range on this opening from $5 to $15 million (though the latter seems highly unlikely). A gross somewhere in the middle seems more possible. Still, if you’ve been clamoring for a flick featuring Storm from X-Men saving Little Miss Sunshine from a child abduction, this is your movie.
Rounding out the Top Five, last weekend’s number two and three should slide to fourth and fifth. Jack the Giant Slayer has been a giant disappointment and will likely see a big slide in its third frame. Identity Thief should get the five spot in its sixth weekend. There is a distinct chance Thief could leap Slayer, switching up those spots.
Here are my predictions for the weekend box office:
1. Oz The Great and Powerful
Predicted Gross: $42 million (representing a drop of 47%)
2. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Predicted Gross: $16.3 million
3. The Call
Predicted Gross: $9.2 million
4. Jack the Giant Slayer
Predicted Gross: $4.3 million (representing a drop of 57%)
5. Identity Thief
Predicted Gross: $4 million (representing a drop of 37%)
Results as they come in throughout the weekend will be posted on Saturday and Sunday.
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