2019 Oscar Predictions: November 1st Edition

This week’s gathering of my Oscar predictions brings changes in some big categories:

Joker has been at the bottom of my ten Best Picture nominees since its opening, but it drops to #11 in favor of Ford v Ferrari. On the positive side for the film, Joker is back in my Adapted Screenplay estimates over A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Harriet is out this weekend and it’s coming in at the higher range of box office expectations. I’m putting Cynthia Erivo back in my top five and that leaves out Alfre Woodard’s work in Clemency.
Dolemite Is My Name premiered on Netflix a week ago and that’s opened up a floodgate of praise for Eddie Murphy. We shall see if the momentum continues, but I now have vaulted him into my Best Actor nominees. That drops out Robert De Niro in The Irishman. Truth be told, this particular race is absolutely packed and I believe only Adam Driver is safe right now.

Let’s get to it!

BEST PICTURE

Predicted Nominees:

1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Previous Ranking: 1)

2. The Irishman (PR: 2)

3. Marriage Story (PR: 3)

4. Parasite (PR: 4)

5. 1917 (PR: 6)

6. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 5)

7. Little Women (PR: 9)

8. The Two Popes (PR: 8)

9. Bombshell (PR: 7)

10. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 11)

Other Possibilities:

11. Joker (PR: 10)

12. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 13)

13. The Farewell (PR: 12)

14. Rocketman (PR: Not Ranked)

15. Waves (PR: 14)

Dropped Out:

Richard Jewell

BEST DIRECTOR

Predicted Nominees:

1. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (PR: 1)

2. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 2)

3. Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite (PR: 3)

4. Sam Mendes, 1917 (PR: 4)

5. Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story (PR: 5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Greta Gerwig, Little Women (PR: 6)

7. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit (PR: 7)

8. Fernando Meirelles, The Two Popes (PR: Not Ranked)

9. James Mangold, Ford v Ferrari (PR: 10)

10. Todd Phillips, Joker (PR: 9)

Dropped Out:

Jay Roach, Bombshell

BEST ACTRESS

Predicted Nominees:

1. Renee Zellweger, Judy (PR: 1)

2. Charlize Theron, Bombshell (PR: 2)

3. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story (PR: 3)

4. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women (PR: 4)

5. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet (PR: 7)

Other Possibilities:

6. Awkwafina, The Farewell (PR: 6)

7. Alfre Woodard, Clemency (PR: 5)

8. Lupita Nyong’o, Us (PR: 8)

9. Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Helen Mirren, The Good Liar (PR: 9)

Dropped Out:

Isabelle Huppert, Frankie

BEST ACTOR

Predicted Nominees:

1. Adam Driver, Marriage Story (PR: 1)

2. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker (PR: 2)

3. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes (PR: 3)

4. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 4)

5. Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name (PR: 9)

Other Possibilities:

6. Robert De Niro, The Irishman (PR: 5)

7. Taron Egerton, Rocketman (PR: 7)

8. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (PR: 6)

9. Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari (PR: 8)

10. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Predicted Nominees:

1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)

2. Al Pacino, The Irishman (PR: 2)

3. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes (PR: 3)

4. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 4)

5. Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse (PR: 5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Joe Pesci, The Irishman (PR: 6)

7. Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy (PR: 7)

8. Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy (PR: Not Ranked)

9. John Lithgow, Bombshell (PR: 8)

10. Wesley Snipes, Dolemite Is My Name (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Sterling K. Brown, Waves

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Predicted Nominees:

1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story (PR: 1)

2. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers (PR: 4)

3. Margot Robbie, Bombshell (PR: 2)

4. Florence Pugh, Little Women (PR: 3)

5. Annette Bening, The Report (PR: 5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Shuzhen Zhou, The Farewell (PR: 6)

7. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit (PR: 7)

8. Nicole Kidman, Bombshell (PR: Not Ranked)

9. Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey (PR: 8)

10. Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 9)

Dropped Out:

Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Predicted Nominees:

1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)

2. Marriage Story (PR: 2)

3. Parasite (PR: 3)

4. The Farewell (PR: 4)

5. Bombshell (PR: 5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Pain and Glory (PR: 6)

7. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 9)

8. Waves (PR: 7)

9. 1917 (PR: 8)

10. Honey Boy (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Knives Out

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Predicted Nominees:

1. The Irishman (PR: 1)

2. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 2)

3. The Two Popes (PR: 4)

4. Little Women (PR: 3)

5. Joker (PR: 6)

Other Possibilities:

6. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PR: 5)

7. Just Mercy (PR: 7)

8. Richard Jewell (PR: 10)

9. Judy (PR: 8)

10. Dark Waters (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Downton Abbey

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Predicted Nominees:

1. Parasite (PR: 1)

2. Pain and Glory (PR: 2)

3. Les Miserables (PR: 3)

4. Monos (PR: 5)

5. Beanpole (PR: 7)

Other Possibilities:

6. And Then We Danced (PR: 8)

7. Atlantics (PR: 6)

8. Those Who Remained (PR: 4)

9. A White, White Day (PR: 9)

10. Tel Aviv on Fire (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

The Traitor

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Predicted Nominees:

1. Toy Story 4 (PR: 1)

2. Frozen II (PR: 2)

3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (PR: 3)

4. Weathering with You (PR: 4)

5. I Lost My Body (PR: 5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Bunuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (PR: Not Ranked)

7. Missing Link (PR: 6)

8. Abominable (PR: 7)

9. Klaus (PR: 10)

10. Funan (PR: 8)

Dropped Out:

Okko’s Inn

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Predicted Nominees:

1. American Factory (PR: 1)

2. One Child Nation (PR: 3)

3. Maiden (PR: 5)

4. Apollo 11 (PR: 2)

5. The Cave (PR: 4)

Other Possibilities:

6. The Biggest Little Farm (PR: 6)

7. Knock Down the House (PR: 8)

8. For Sama (PR: Not Ranked)

9. Sea of Shadows (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Diego Maradona (PR: 7)

Dropped Out:

The Edge of Democracy

Western Stars

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Predicted Nominees:

1. 1917 (PR: 2)

2. The Irishman (PR: 1)

3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 3)

4. A Hidden Life (PR: 4)

5. The Lighthouse (PR: 5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 9)

7. Parasite (PR: 8)

8. Ad Astra (PR: 6)

9. Joker (PR: 7)

10. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (PR: 10)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Predicted Nominees:

1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)

2. Dolemite Is My Name (PR: 3)

3. Little Women (PR: 2)

4. Downton Abbey (PR: 4)

5. Rocketman (PR: 5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Judy (PR: 7)

7. The Irishman (PR: 6)

8. Cats (Not Ranked)

9. Jojo Rabbit (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Aladdin (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

1917

Joker

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

BEST FILM EDITING

Predicted Nominees:

1. The Irishman (PR: 1)

2. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 3)

3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 2)

4. 1917 (PR: 5)

5. Parasite (PR: 6)

Other Possibilities:

6. Marriage Story (PR: 4)

7. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 7)

8. Rocketman (PR: Not Ranked)

9. Joker (PR: 10)

10. Knives Out (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Avengers: Endgame

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Predicted Nominees:

1. Bombshell (PR: 1)

2. The Irishman (PR: 2)

3. Judy (PR: 4)

4. Dolemite Is My Name (PR: 3)

5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 7)

Other Possibilities:

6. Rocketman (PR: 6)

7. Cats (PR: 10)

8. The Aeronauts (PR: 8)

9. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Joker (PR: 5)

Dropped Out:

Little Women

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Predicted Nominees:

1. 1917 (PR: 1)

2. Little Women (PR: 3)

3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PR: 2)

4. Marriage Story (PR: 4)

5. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 8)

Other Possibilities:

6. A Hidden Life (PR: 5)

7. The Aeronauts (PR: 6)

8. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 7)

9. Waves (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Joker (PR: 9)

Dropped Out:

Ad Astra

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Predicted Nominees:

1. “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II (PR: 1)

2. “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman (PR: 2)

3. “Beautiful Ghosts” from Cats (PR: 3)

4. “Stand Up” from Harriet (PR: 4)

5. “I’m Standing With You” from Breakthrough (PR: Not Ranked)

Other Possibilities:

6. “Speechless” from Aladdin (PR: 7)

7. “Spirit” from The Lion King (PR: 5)

8. “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4 (PR: 6)

9. “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” from Toy Story 4 (PR: 8)

10. “One Little Soldier” from Bombshell (PR: 9)

Dropped Out:

”Daily Battles” from Motherless Brooklyn

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Predicted Nominees:

1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 1)

2. The Irishman (PR: 2)

3. Jojo Rabbit (PR: 5)

4. Little Women (PR: 3)

5. 1917 (PR: 4)

Other Possibilities:

6. Parasite (PR: 6)

7. Cats (PR: 7)

8. The Aeronauts (PR: 9)

9. Downton Abbey (PR: 8)

10. Joker (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

BEST SOUND EDITING

Predicted Nominees:

1. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 1)

2. 1917 (PR: 3)

3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PR: 2)

4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 4)

5. Rocketman (PR: 8)

Other Possibilities:

6. Avengers: Endgame (PR: 7)

7. The Irishman (PR: 6)

8. Ad Astra (PR: 5)

9. Cats (PR: 9)

10. The Aeronauts (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

BEST SOUND MIXING

Predicted Nominees:

1. Ford v Ferrari (PR: 1)

2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PR: 2)

3. 1917 (PR: 3)

4. Rocketman (PR: 6)

5. Avengers: Endgame (PR: 4)

Other Possibilities:

6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (PR: 7)

7. The Irishman (PR: 8)

8. Judy (PR: Not Ranked)

9. Ad Astra (PR: 5)

10. Cats (PR: 9)

Dropped Out:

Joker

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Predicted Nominees:

1. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PR: 1)

2. The Irishman (PR: 3)

3. Avengers: Endgame (PR: 2)

4. The Lion King (PR: 4)

5. The Aeronauts (PR: 6)

Other Possibilities:

6. Alita: Battle Angel (PR: 5)

7. Gemini Man (PR: 8)

8. Ad Astra (PR: 7)

9. 1917 (PR: 9)

10. Dumbo (PR: 10)

And that equates to the following number of nominations going to these pictures:

11 Nominations

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

9 Nominations

The Irishman

8 Nominations

1917

7 Nominations

Little Women, Marriage Story

5 Nominations

Bombshell, Ford v Ferrari, Parasite

4 Nominations

Rocketman, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Two Popes

3 Nominations

Dolemite Is My Name, Jojo Rabbit

2 Nominations

Avengers: Endgame, Frozen II, Harriet, Joker, Judy, The Lighthouse

1 Nomination

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Aeronauts, A Hidden Life, American Factory, Apollo 11, Beanpole, Breakthrough, Cats, The Cave, Downton Abbey, The Farewell, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Hustlers, I Lost My Body, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Maiden, Monos, One Child Nation, Pain and Glory, The Report, Toy Story 4, Weathering with You

This Is Oscar

Since 2016, the NBC drama This Is Us has kept viewers in a perpetual state of tears and it’s been a massive hit for the network. As the show’s popularity has continued, the various leads on the family affair have seen their movie offers increase.

When looking at how Oscar voters could reward the work of these actors that have garnered plenty of Emmy nods, there’s some we can quickly discount. Don’t look for Milo Ventimiglia to contend for The Art of Racing in the Rain. His onscreen wife Mandy Moore won’t get supporting actress attention for next weekend’s Midway. Justin Hartley will not be feted for Little or Jexi. And while A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood could see Tom Hanks receive another nomination, the same won’t hold true for Susan Kelechi Watson.

That brings us to Watson’s TV hubby Sterling K. Brown. His big screen family drama Waves has gotten raves on the film festival circuit. It would appear his performance is most likely to appear on the radar of the awards crowd. Yet there’s a problem. 2019’s crop of supporting actor possibilities is packed. The list includes the aforementioned Hanks in Neighborhood, Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, both Al Pacino and Joe Pesci for The Irishman, Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes, Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse, and Jamie Foxx for Just Mercy. The race simply might be too crowded for Brown.

Surprisingly, the best chance for an Us thespian to get into the Academy derby might come in an unexpected category. This spring’s faith based release Breakthrough featured Chrissy Metz in the cast. Her acting will not be honored. However, Metz did cut an original song for the soundtrack titled “I’m Standing With You”. The songwriter is Diane Warren and she’s no stranger to Oscar. Warren has landed ten nods for her work, including songs from the last two years – “Stand Up for Something” from Marshall and “I’ll Fight” from RBG. The Best Original Song race is still uncertain, but Disney appears bound to get in with expected selections from Toy Story 4, Frozen II, Aladdin, and The Lion King. There’s also tracks from Rocketman and Cats that could factor in. Still, Metz’s pipes probably have the highest chance for recognition over the acting skills of her fellow cast members.

May 3-5 Box Office Predictions

As we all catch our breath from the astounding debut of Avengers: Endgame, the first weekend of May brings three new titles all vying for second place behind Tony Stark and company. They are the animated UglyDolls, Seth Rogen/Charlize Theron comedy Long Shot, and homeownership thriller The Intruder with a demented Dennis Quaid. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on each of them here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/04/23/uglydolls-box-office-prediction/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/04/24/long-shot-box-office-prediction/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/04/23/the-intruder-box-office-prediction/

All three films have legit chances at premiering in second. I’m skeptical about UglyDolls, even though the plush toys it’s based on are well-known. Long Shot has reviews on its side, but could be more of a slow builder. That leaves The Intruder and I do believe it could appeal to an older and African-American audience. Therefore I’ll say it becomes the silver medalist.

This brings us to the sophomore frame of Endgame. It broke basically every record there is over the weekend (more on that below). Predecessor Infinity War dipped 55% last year. This might be a tad more front loaded, but probably not by much. I’ll give it a 57% slide. That means another record should be in store as my estimate puts it over the best all-time second weekend, which is Star Wars: The Force Awakens at $149 million.

And with that, my top 5 estimates for the weekend ahead:

1. Avengers: Endgame

Predicted Gross: $153.6 million

2. The Intruder

Predicted Gross: $15.2 million

3. UglyDolls

Predicted Gross: $13.8 million

4. Long Shot

Predicted Gross: $13.1 million

5. Captain Marvel

Predicted Gross: $5.9 million

Box Office Results (April 26–28)

History was made this weekend as Avengers: Endgame rocketed past even the most lofty expectations and left record after record in its wake. The MCU epic took in an otherworldly $357.1 million, scorching my $289.6 million projection. That’s not only the biggest opening of all time… it’s $100 million more than previous holder Avengers: Infinity War from last summer. The question as to whether it eventually surpasses the $936 million achieved by all-time domestic earner The Force Awakens is real.

As if Endgame didn’t provide enough embarrassment of riches, Captain Marvel climbed to second (thanks drive-ins) with $8.3 million (I said $8.7 million) for $413 million overall.

The Curse of La Llorona was third with $8 million compared to my higher $10 million forecast. The two-week tally is $41 million.

Breakthrough was fourth with $6.8 million (I said $6.3 million). Total is $26 million.

Shazam! rounded out the top five with $5.5 million. I was generous at $7.4 million. It’s at $131 million.

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

April 26-28 Box Office Predictions

After the worst Easter weekend at the box office in a decade and a sub par 2019 overall, expect things to pick up considerably on Friday. In case you hadn’t heard, there’s a little something called Avengers: Endgame debuting and it appears poised to smash the all-time opening record. You can peruse my detailed prediction post on it here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/04/16/avengers-endgame-box-office-prediction/

The grand finale of this current MCU phase has been selling out theaters for weeks and anticipation for the multi billion dollar franchise epic is sky-high. In order to top the record holder, it will need to rise up over the $257 million earned one year ago by predecessor Avengers: Infinity War.

I believe it will do that with more than $30 million to spare as it injects needed life into the movie business. As you can imagine, no other feature dared to premiere against Iron Man and his pals. The Curse of La Llorona should fall to second after a decent debut. Captain Marvel could be the beneficiary of the rare drive-in effect as the MCU flick should be paired with Endgame in multiple venues. This helped Black Panther last year when it dropped only 4% thanks to Infinity War. DC’s superhero tale Shazam! should dip to fourth with Breakthrough rounding out the top five.

And with that, my projections for a potentially historic weekend:

1. Avengers: Endgame

Predicted Gross: $289.6 million

2. The Curse of La Llorona

Predicted Gross: $10 million

3. Captain Marvel

Predicted Gross: $8.7 million

4. Shazam!

Predicted Gross: $7.4 million

5. Breakthrough

Predicted Gross: $6.3 million

Box Office Results (April 19–21)

As mentioned, the Easter frame was hardly hopping as many moviegoers decided to save their cash for Endgame. The Curse of La Llorona, as expected, posted the lowest start ever for a Conjuring Cinematic Universe title. However, its $26.3 million haul did scare up more than my $20.1 million projection.

Shazam! dropped to second after two weeks in first with $16.4 million, ahead of my $14 million forecast. The total is $120 million.

Faith based drama Breakthrough was no Heaven Is for Real in third with $11.2 million from to Friday to Sunday and $14.7 million since its Wednesday premiere. That’s quite a bit under my respective expectations of $16.9 million and $22 million.

Captain Marvel had a remarkable increase from the previous weekend with $9.1 million for fourth place. That’s well above my $6 million estimate as the MCU behemoth reached $400 million domestically, right in time for her Endgame appearance.

Little rounded out the top five with $8.3 million (I said $7.8 million) for $29 million in two weeks.

Finally, the DisneyNature doc Penguins fell flat with just $2.2 million for 12th place and $3.2 million counting its Wednesday jumpstart. I was higher at $3.5 million and $5 million.

That does it for now, folks! Until next time…

April 19-21 Box Office Predictions

It’s Easter weekend at the box office and we have three new pictures opening. There’s The Darkness (The Curse of La Llorona), The Light (Breakthrough), and The Penguins (Penguins). Two of them will attempt to dislodge Shazam! from its two-week perch in the top spot. Yet this holiday frame will likely be known as “the one before Avengers: Endgame opened”. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the newcomers here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/04/09/the-curse-of-la-llorona-box-office-prediction/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/04/09/breakthrough-box-office-prediction/

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/04/10/penguins-box-office-prediction/

The Curse of La Llorona takes place in the Conjuring Cinematic Universe, but it hasn’t really been marketed heavily as such. Therefore I believe it will easily have the lowest debut of the franchise, but still manage to top the charts.

Breakthrough has the potential to do just that with faith-based crowds. I do question whether it can manage to achieve what Heaven Is for Real accomplished five Easter’s ago ($29 million for its five-day gross). Debuting on Wednesday, I’ll say mid teens for the traditional weekend and low 20s when factoring in the extra days.

Penguins is the latest DisneyNature venture. The latest efforts in the series have earned between $4-$5 million for their starts. This opens on Wednesday as well, so I’ll put it a touch under. My $3.5 million Friday to Sunday projection ($5 million five-day) puts this outside my top five.

Shazam! should slide to third after two weeks in first position with Little coming in fourth. As for the five-spot, I’m saying Captain Marvel. It should experience a smaller percentage decline than Hellboy and Dumbo. That could be good enough to take it from sixth to fifth before she joins her superhero pals next weekend in Endgame.

And with that, my take on the holiday weekend:

1. The Curse of La Llorona

Predicted Gross: $20.1 million

2. Breakthrough

Predicted Gross: $16.9 million (Friday to Sunday); $22 million (Wednesday to Sunday)

3. Shazam!

Predicted Gross: $14 million

4. Little

Predicted Gross: $7.8 million

5. Captain Marvel

Predicted Gross: $6 million

Box Office Results (April 12–14)

As expected, Shazam! retained its perch on top with $24.4 million, a bit lower than my $28.2 million prediction. The DC tale is sniffing the century mark after ten days with $94 million.

The Regina Hall comedy Little led four newcomers in second with $15.4 million, managing to exceed my $14 million projection.

The story of the weekend was the pitiful performance of Hellboy. The comic book based reboot bombed with just $12 million in third, under my $17.4 million take. This potential franchise pretty much ended before it began.

Pet Sematary was fourth in its sophomore outing with $9.7 million (I said $10.5 million). Total is $40 million.

I incorrectly had Dumbo outside the top five and it made $9.4 million to bring its tally to $90 million.

College romance After was eighth and topped most estimates with $6 million. I was much lower at $3.7 million.

Finally, Laika Animation has its worst opening by a lot. Missing Link, despite positive reviews, couldn’t find an audience. It took in just $5.9 million for ninth. I was considerably higher at $11.7 million.

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

Breakthrough Box Office Prediction

Disney is putting their faith over the Easter weekend in Breakthrough, a Christian drama based on the 2017 novel The Impossible. Based on true events, the pic tells the story of a teenager who slips into a frozen lake and his miraculous recovery. Directed by Roxann Dawson in her feature debut, Breakthrough stars Chrissy Metz (of TV’s “This Is Us” fame), Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Marcel Ruiz, and Dennis Haysbert. NBA champion Stephen Curry has an exec producer credit.

This is actually the first 20th Century Fox production that its new owner Disney is distributing. That well publicized partnership could get off to a solid start if faith-based audiences turn out. The holiday timing should certainly work to its advantage.

An obvious comp is Heaven Is for Real from five Easter’s ago. Like Breakthrough, it also premiered on Wednesday. Taking in $22.5 million over the traditional weekend and $29.5 million over the five-day span, Heaven eventually soared to $91 million overall.

I’ll say this falls a bit lower with the caveat that it could achieve similar numbers. My five-day projection puts it a touch below the three-day of Heaven. That could put this at #2 behind The Curse of La Llorona, which deals with religious themes in a drastically different manner.

Breakthrough opening weekend prediction: $16.9 million (Friday to Sunday), $22 million (Wednesday to Sunday)