2023 Oscar Predictions: November 18th Edition

It has been a lengthy three weeks since my last Oscar predictions and there’s developments to discuss. One of the final major awards puzzle pieces held its first screenings this week in The Color Purple. The musical based on the play that is based on the movie that is based on the novel has drawn encouraging reactions thus far. In fact, they’re positive enough that I’m glad I’ve never dropped it from my ten BP nominees. And I suspect I’ve made the right call in keeping Danielle Brooks placed at #1 in Supporting Actress for quite some time. Same goes for Taraji P. Henson getting recognized in that category. I also think Fantasia Barrino’s lead performance is a decent (if not slam dunk pick) for the crowded Best Actress race and that Colman Domingo could materialize in Supporting Actor. He may miss the cut and get the sole nod in Actor for Rustin (though the double nominee threat is real). Barrino joins my projected quintet in Actress with Greta Lee (Past Lives) falling by the wayside.

A24 has also screened true life wrestling drama The Iron Claw before its December 22nd bow. Word-of-mouth is also strong for this one. Yet I wonder if A24 will go all in on their campaign. If so, a BP nod is not totally out of the question. It’s listed in my top 15, but at the moment I believe it’s on the outside looking in and I have it listed nowhere else as a possibility.

Napoleon falls out of BP contention due to mixed reaction as does Joaquin Phoenix in Best Actor. Ridley Scott’s epic could still show up in some tech races. Another Thanksgiving release lessened its chances this week in Disney’s Wish. The animated musical also is garnering so-so buzz. The fact that it’s a Mouse House production could mean it makes the Animated Feature cut. For now, it moves out of the high five.

While it has been a little while since my previous update, Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor have the same nominees (albeit with some movement in the rankings). In Actor, Colman Domingo as Rustin is back in over Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction). Sandra Hüller becomes my rare double contender prediction as I now have her in Supporting Actress (taking out Viola Davis in Air).

You can read all the movement below!

Best Picture

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (Previous Ranking: 1) (E)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Poor Things (PR: 3) (E)

4. Barbie (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Holdovers (PR: 6) (+1)

6. The Color Purple (PR: 8) (+2)

7. Maestro (PR: 5) (-2)

8. The Zone of Interest (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Past Lives (PR: 7) (-2)

10. American Fiction (PR: 10) (E)

Other Possibilities:

11. Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 11) (E)

12. Air (PR: 12) (E)

13. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 14) (+1)

14. Saltburn (PR: 15) (+1)

15. The Iron Claw (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Napoleon

Best Director

Predicted Nominees:

1. Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things (PR: 3) (E)

4. Greta Gerwig, Barbie (PR: 4) (E)

5. Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Alexander Payne, The Holdovers (PR: 6) (E)

7. Bradley Cooper, Maestro (PR: 8) (+1)

8. Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 7) (-1)

9. Blitz Bazawule, The Color Purple (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Celine Song, Past Lives (PR: 9) (-1)

Best Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Emma Stone, Poor Things (PR: 1) (E)

2. Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Carey Mulligan, Maestro (PR: 3) (E)

4. Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 4) (E)

5. Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple (PR: 8) (+3)

Other Possibilities:

6. Margot Robbie, Barbie (PR: 6) (E)

7. Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla (PR: 7) (E)

8. Annette Bening, Nyad (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Greta Lee, Past Lives (PR: 5) (-4)

10. Natalie Portman, May December (PR: 10) (E)

Best Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Bradley Cooper, Maestro (PR: 1) (E)

2. Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer (PR: 2) (E)

3. Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (E)

4. Colman Domingo, Rustin (PR: 6) (+2)

5. Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers (PR: 7) (E)

8. Barry Keoghan, Saltburn (PR: 8) (E)

9. Teo Yoo, Past Lives (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Koji Yakusho, Perfect Days (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Joaquin Phoenix, Napoleon

Best Supporting Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple (PR: 1) (E)

2. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (PR: 2) (E)

3. Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest (PR: 10) (+5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Jodie Foster, Nyad (PR: 8) (+2)

7. Julianne Moore, May December (PR: 7) (E)

8. Viola Davis, Air (PR: 5) (-3)

9. Penelope Cruz, Ferrari (PR: 6) (-3)

10. Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (PR: 9) (-1)

Best Supporting Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Ryan Gosling, Barbie (PR: 2) (E)

3. Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (E)

4. Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things (PR: 4) (E)

5. Charles Melton, May December (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Colman Domingo, The Color Purple (PR: 8) (+2)

7. Willem Dafoe, Poor Things (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers (PR: 7) (-1)

9. John Magaro, Past Lives (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Glenn Howerton, BlackBerry (PR: 9) (-1)

Best Original Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Barbie (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Holdovers (PR: 2) (E)

3. Past Lives (PR: 3) (E)

4. Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 4) (E)

5. May December (PR: 7) (+2)

Other Possibilities:

6. Maestro (PR: 6) (E)

7. Air (PR: 5) (-2)

8. Saltburn (PR: 8) (E)

9. Fair Play (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Asteroid City (PR: 9) (-1)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 1) (E)

2. Poor Things (PR: 2) (E)

3. Oppenheimer (PR: 3) (E)

4. American Fiction (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Zone of Interest (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. All of Us Strangers (PR: 5) (-1)

7. The Color Purple (PR: 7) (E)

8. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (PR: 9) (+1)

9. The Taste of Things (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Priscilla

Best International Feature Film

Predicted Nominees:

1. The Zone of Interest (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Taste of Things (PR: 2) (E)

3. Perfect Days (PR: 3) (E)

4. The Teachers’ Lounge (PR: 4) (E)

5. Fallen Leaves (PR: 5 (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Society of the Snow (PR: 6) (E)

7. About Dry Grasses (PR: 7) (E)

8. The Promised Land (PR: 9) (+1)

9. The Monk and the Gun (PR: 10) (+1)

10. The Peasants (PR: 8) (-2)

Best Animated Feature Film

Predicted Nominees:

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Boy and the Heron (PR: 2) (E)

3. Elemental (PR: 3) (E)

4. The Peasants (PR: 5) (+1)

5. Nimona (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Wish (PR: 4) (-3)

8. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (PR: 8) (E)

9. Suzume (PR: 10) (+1)

10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (PR: 9) (-1)

Best Documentary Feature

Predicted Nominees:

1. Beyond Utopia (PR: 1) (E)

2. 20 Days in Mariupol (PR: 2) (E)

3. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (PR: 6) (+3)

4. Four Daughters (PR: 8) (+4)

5. Stamped from the Beginning (PR: 3) (-2)

Other Possibilities:

6. American Symphony (PR: 4) (-2)

7. The Eternal Memory (PR: 5) (-2)

8. The Deepest Breath (PR: 10) (+2)

9. Our Body (PR: Not Ranked)

10. The Mother of All Lies (PR: 9) (-1)

Dropped Out:

Orlando, My Political Biography

Best Cinematography

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (+1)

3. Maestro (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Poor Things (PR: 2) (-2)

5. The Color Purple (PR: 7) (+2)

Other Possibilities:

6. The Zone of Interest (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Saltburn (PR: 10) (+3)

8. Napoleon (PR: 6) (-2)

9. The Killer (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Barbie (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Asteroid City

Best Costume Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Poor Things (PR: 1) (E)

2. Barbie (PR: 2) (E)

3. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 4) (+1)

4. The Color Purple (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Priscilla (PR: 10) (+5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Napoleon (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Chevalier (PR: 7) (E)

8. Oppenheimer (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Asteroid City (PR: 9) (E)

10. Wonka (PR: 8) (-2)

Best Film Editing

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Poor Things (PR: 3) (E)

4. The Holdovers (PR: 5) (+1)

5. Air (PR: 8) (+3)

Other Possibilities:

6. Maestro (PR: 4) (-2)

7. Barbie (PR: 6) (-1)

8. The Color Purple (PR: 9) (+1)

9. The Killer (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Past Lives (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

The Zone of Interest

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Predicted Nominees:

1. Maestro (PR: 1) (E)

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (PR: 3) (+1)

3. Poor Things (PR: 2) (-1)

4. Barbie (PR: 4) (E)

5. Priscilla (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 8) (+2)

7. Nyad (PR: 10) (+3)

8. Oppenheimer (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Golda (PR: 7) (-2)

10. The Color Purple (PR: 5) (-5)

Best Original Score

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Poor Things (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Elemental (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Past Lives (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 10) (+4)

7. The Zone of Interest (PR: 6) (-1)

8. The Killer (PR: 9) (+1)

9. The Boy and the Heron (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Carmen (PR: 7) (-3)

Dropped Out:

Asteroid City

Best Original Song

Predicted Nominees:

1. “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie (PR: 2) (+1)

2. “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie (PR: 4) (+2)

3. “Road to Freedom” from Rustin (PR: 5) (+2)

4. “Quiet Eyes” from Past Lives (PR: 6) (+2)

5. “Keep It Movin” from The Color Purple (PR: 1) (-4) – **previously listed at #1 as TBD song

Other Possibilities:

6. “Gonna Be You” from 80 for Brady (PR: 9) (+3)

7. “This Wish” from Wish (PR: 3) (-4)

8. “Joan Still” from Theater Camp (PR: 7) (-1)

9. “Dance the Night” from Barbie (PR: 8) (-1)

10. “Meet in the Middle” from Flora and Son (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

“Steal the Show” from Elemental

Best Production Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Barbie (PR: 2) (+1)

2. Poor Things (PR: 1) (-1)

3. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (E)

4. Napoleon (PR: 7) (+3)

5. The Color Purple (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Asteroid City (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Oppenheimer (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Maestro (PR: 8) (E)

9. The Zone of Interest (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Saltburn (PR: 9) (-1)

Best Sound

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Color Purple (PR: 4) (+2)

3. Maestro (PR: 7) (+4)

4. The Killer (PR: 9) (+5)

5. Ferrari (PR: 3) (-2)

Other Possibilities:

6. Napoleon (PR: 2) (-4)

7. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 5) (-3)

9. The Zone of Interest (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Barbie (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

The Creator

Best Visual Effects

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Creator (PR: 2) (E)

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Poor Things (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire (PR: 7) (+2)

Other Possibilities:

6. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (PR: 6) (E)

7. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (PR: 8) (+1)

8. Napoleon (PR: 5) (-3)

9. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Wonka (PR: 9) (-1)

That adds up to these pictures generating these numbers of nominations:

12 Nominations

Poor Things

11 Nominations

Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer

9 Nominations

Barbie, The Color Purple

6 Nominations

Maestro

5 Nominations

The Holdovers, The Zone of Interest

4 Nominations

Past Lives

2 Nominations

American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Elemental, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, May December, Priscilla, Rustin

1 Nomination

20 Days in Mariupol, Air, Beyond Utopia, The Boy and the Heron, The Creator, Fallen Leaves, Ferrari, Four Daughters, The Killer, Napoleon, Nimona, The Peasants, Perfect Days, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Stamped from the Beginning, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, The Teachers’ Lounge

Oscar Predictions: Wish

In 2023, Disney finds itself in the rather rare position of not having a Best Animated Feature frontrunner at the Oscars. The category started in 2001 and 15 of the 22 previous winners have been released by the Mouse House. This summer’s Elemental got decent enough reviews that it probably has a spot in the eventual five nominees.

I’m not sure the same can be said for Wish. The musical from directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn and featuring the voices of West Side Story gold statue recipient Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine comes out over the Thanksgiving holiday. With its review embargo lifted, the Tomato meter is at only 62%. That is certainly below most Disney animated offerings and it brings awards viability into question.

In my view, Elemental (a bit fresher at 74%) is behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (definitely the favorite) and The Boy and the Heron. I still think it gets in. That leaves two spots. Wish will need to compete with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Nimona, and The Peasants to make the cut. Its legendary studio will need to work their campaigning magic to have two competitors in the race.

Wish may have a slightly better shot at Original Song with DeBose singing “This Wish”. Yet it’s quite possible that Wish could be granted zero nominations. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Napoleon Box Office Prediction

After two decades plus, Ridley Scott reunites with Gladiator thespian Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon. It rolls out November 22nd over the long holiday weekend. The historical epic about the legendary French commander costars Vanessa Kirby and Tahar Rahim. The Apple TV production is exclusive to theaters.

Once seen as an Oscar hopeful, the review embargo pretty much shut that down (save for perhaps some tech nods) as it stands at 61% on Rotten Tomatoes. With reactions all over the map (including a few which say it works best as a comedy), Napoleon will attempt to stand apart as an option for adults looking for Thanksgiving entertainment.

That strategy could mean a three-day gross in the high teens to low 20s as it hopes for $30 million or higher from Wednesday to Sunday. I’ll put Napoleon just short of that and certainly stronger than Scott’s 2021 box office bomb The Last Duel.

Napoleon opening weekend prediction: $18.2 million (Friday to Sunday); $28.5 million (Wednesday to Sunday)

For my Wish prediction, click here:

Wish Box Office Prediction

Wish Box Office Prediction

Blogger’s Update (11/20): Middling reviews have led to a downgrade in my estimate to low 30s for the three-day and mid 40s for the five.

Disney seeks a return to a Thanksgiving tradition by having an animated offering in the top spot with the release of Wish on November 22nd. Chris Buck (who co-helmed the Frozen features) and Fawn Veerasunthorn direct with a voice cast including Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Harvey Guillén, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef, and Jon Rudnitsky.

The musical fantasy would love to replicate the performance of the Frozen entries, but would certainly settle for the earnings of pre-COVID Turkey weekend offerings. In 2016, Moana opened to $56 million from Friday to Monday and $82 million when counting Wednesday and Thursday of the holiday frame. Coco in 2017 started off with $50 million over the three-day and $72 million for the five-day. In 2018, Ralph Breaks the Internet took in $56 million from Friday to Monday and $84 million over the extended holiday.

On the other hand, the Mouse House wants to avoid a Good Dinosaur level performance from 2015. It made $39 million for the three-day and $55 million with the extras.

My hunch is that Wish is granted a performance closest to Coco levels while not quite reaching those figures. I’ll project a mid to high 40s output over the regular weekend and mid to high 60s when factoring in those extra days when kiddos are out of school.

Wish opening weekend prediction: $32.2 million (Friday to Monday); $46.4 million (Wednesday to Sunday)

For my Napoleon prediction, click here:

Napoleon Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: Napoleon

Ridley Scott’s 2000 epic Gladiator was named Best Picture and costar Joaquin Phoenix nabbed his first Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor (he’d eventually get three more mentions and win for Joker). The duo have reunited for Napoleon (out November 22nd). Awards history repeating itself will be a tall order.

The review embargo is lifted with a current Tomatoes meter of 82%. While that’s decent, it’s currently under the 85% of Scott’s 2021 The Last Duel and that failed to attract any attention from the Academy. Scott’s biopic may suffer the same fate. One unexpected development? The number of critics saying it kind of works as a comedy.

Best Actor is probably too crowded for Phoenix to rise and I doubt costar Vanessa Kirby will be a factor in Supporting Actress. Tech nods could come with Production Design being the likeliest opportunity (Sound, Visual Effects, and Costume Design are also feasible). It could also go the way of Duel and come up empty-handed. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Stamped from the Beginning

Documentarian Roger Ross Williams is already an Oscar winner for his short film Music by Prudence (for which he became the first African-American filmmaker to receive an Academy Award). His 2016 feature-length doc Life, Animated make the quintet in its longer form category and Williams hopes for a return to show with Stamped from the Beginning.

It’s based on the 2016 book by Ibram X. Kendi (subtitled The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America). Out on Netflix last Friday, it played the Toronto Film Festival in September to solid notices. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 100%. Stamped was up for Best Feature and for Historical Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards over the weekend and went 0 for 2.

Despite the perfect meter, there are other docs with even stronger reviews. Yet I’ve had Stamped marked for a nomination in my recent predictions. Don’t be surprised if it makes the shortlist and eventual cut. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: American Symphony

On November 29th, Matthew Heineman’s documentary American Symphony plays on Netflix after being on the festival circuit beginning at Telluride. It recounts a year in the life of Grammy winning musician Jon Batiste and family.

Heineman is no stranger to awards hopefuls in the genre. 2015’s Cartel Land made the quintet of nominees. 2021’s The First Wave and last year’s Retrograde were discussed for attention and was up in other precursors though each failed to make the Academy cut.

Symphony is at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and scored six Critics Choice nods at their ceremony over the weekend honoring true life works. It won two with Best Music Documentary and Score (losing the main prize to Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie).

Drawing a correlation between Critics Choice and the Academy is risky. As I’ve discussed numerous times, the doc branch of voters at the big ceremony are unpredictable. Symphony stands an excellent shot at making the eventual quintet, but it’s gotta make the shortlist first and surprises seem to occur there every year when revealed. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

November 17-19 Box Office Predictions

A quartet of new titles enter the pre-Thanksgiving frame marketplace with prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes expected to lead the way and DreamWorks Animation’s threequel Trolls Band Together in the runner-up spot. We also have Eli Roth’s slasher flick Thanksgiving and Taika Waititi’s sports dramedy Next Goal Wins out. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on them here:

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Box Office Prediction
Trolls Band Together Box Office Prediction
Thanksgiving Box Office Prediction
Next Goal Wins Box Office Prediction

All four Hunger Games titles (released from 2012-15) debuted to over $100 million, but that streak is sure to end with Songbirds. It may only fly to around $50 million and I’ve got it achieving just a smidge under that.

Barring a significant Hunger underperformance, Trolls should settle for #2 in the mid 20s as it hopes to leg out impressively in future holiday weekends.

The Marvels experienced a historically low start for an MCU offering (more on that below). With a weak B Cinemascore grade, it could be headed for a catastrophic fall in the mid 60s or more in its sophomore frame (similar to The Flash this summer). That’s not the comparison it wanted and it likely means a third place showing.

I’ll say Thanksgiving carves up a little over $10 million and that would put it in fourth. The news is bleaker for the frequently delayed Next Goal Wins as it failed to generate awards buzz on the fest circuit and seems to have little heat attached to it. I’m putting it in sixth behind Five Nights at Freddy’s in weekend #4.

Here’s how I see it shaking out:

1. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Predicted Gross: $48.3 million

2. Trolls Band Together

Predicted Gross: $26.7 million

3. The Marvels

Predicted Gross: $15.6 million

4. Thanksgiving

Predicted Gross: $11.4 million

5. Five Nights at Freddy’s

Predicted Gross: $4.5 million

6. Next Goal Wins

Predicted Gross: $3.8 million

Box Office Results (November 10-12)

It was indeed the worst of times for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as The Marvels had the lowest debut of all 33 franchise entries dating back to the summer of 2008. Captain Marvel and team made off with a mere $46.1 million, right on pace with my $46.3 million (my projection kept dwindling in the week leading up to its premiere). That’s the worst MCU kickoff by a pretty wide margin as the previous record was held by 2008’s The Incredible Hulk at $55 million. A series that once seemed indestructible is no longer as comic book movies have had a tough 2023 in multiplexes. As mentioned, the B Cinemascore indicates crowds aren’t digging the product.

Five Nights at Freddy’s, after two weeks atop the charts, was second with $8.9 million (a bit ahead of my $7.4 million take). The three-week tally is up to $127 million.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was third with $6 million as took a heftier drop (over 50%) that I figured in its fifth weekend. The record setting concert pic total is $172 million.

In a surprising development, Priscilla was fourth in its sophomore go-round. The biopic increased its theater count and fell only 5% to $4.7 million for $12 million overall. I incorrectly had it outside the top five.

Killers of the Flower Moon was fifth with $4.5 million in weekend four. My guess? $4.5 million for $59 million in the bank.

The Holdovers expanded to nearly 800 screens and the Oscar hopeful made $3.2 million for sixth (I said $3 million).

Finally, faith-based musical Journey to Bethlehem got off to a rougher journey than I forecasted. It was seventh with $2.4 million and I thought it would double that figure with $4.8 million.

And that does it for now, folks! Until next time…

Oscar Predictions: Trolls Band Together

Trolls Band Together from DreamWorks is the third animated feature in the musical franchise out November 17th with Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, and many others on crooning duty.

Thus far the critical response is below its two predecessors. 2016’s Trolls sat at 75% on Rotten Tomatoes while 2020 follow-up Trolls World Tour was a hair under at 71%. At press time, Band Together has managed just 56% on the meter.

The two earlier Trolls entries failed to nab Animated Feature nods at the Oscars and this won’t either. In fact, I’d say it’s easily behind three other sequels in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

Seven years ago, this series earned its only Academy mention for Timberlake’s smash hit “Can’t Stop the Feeling” (it lost to “City of Stars” from La La Land). This second sequel does boast an NSYNC reunion after two decades with the track “Better Place”. Yet it is not dominating the charts like band member JT’s aforementioned ditty managed. Like World Tour, Band doesn’t seem primed for an encore come awards time. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Next Goal Wins Box Office Prediction

On November 17th, the true life sports dramedy Next Goal Wins finally kicks it in theaters after numerous delays. Filmed about four years ago, Taika Waititi directs with Michael Fassbender (currently pulling double duty in David Fincher’s The Killer on Netflix) as a down of his luck soccer coach assigned to American Samoa. Costars include Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, and Elisabeth Moss. Arnett’s parts, by the way, were reshot after the studio replaced Armie Hammer with him.

Unlike the filmmaker’s Jojo Rabbit from 2019, Goal did not generate any awards buzz after it hit the festival circuit. The Rotten Tomatoes score is a blah 51% as it arrives during the increasingly crowded November season.

It certainly seems like this will get lost in the shuffle and I’m not even confident this earns $5 million for its start.

Next Goal Wins opening weekend prediction: $3.8 million

For my The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songsbirds & Snakes prediction, click here:

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Box Office Prediction

For my Trolls Band Together prediction, click here:

Trolls Band Together Box Office Prediction

For my Thanksgiving prediction, click here:

Thanksgiving Box Office Prediction