Red One Box Office Prediction

The pricey Yuletide action comedy Red One touches down in theaters November 15th and hoping to slay the box office with a large family audience. Jake Kasdan, maker of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and sequel The Next Level, reunites with that franchise lead Dwayne Johnson as well as Chris Evans. Costars include Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, and Nick Kroll.

With a reported $250 million price tag, the Santa Claus kidnapping caper is counting on a significant presence with parents and kiddos. The review embargo, likely not by accident, lifted Tuesday night as America was tuned into the Presidential election results. Word-of-mouth isn’t great with 33% on Rotten Tomatoes and 37 on Metacritic.

That could damper the buzz and keep it on the lower end of its anticipated $20-$45 million range. There is a considerable lack of competition (at least until Wicked and Gladiator II open the following weekend) and that could help. Yet I suspect mid to high 20s is where this begins.

Red One opening weekend prediction: $27.6 million

Oscar Predictions: Red One

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans headline the Christmas action comedy Red One which slides into multiplexes November 15th. Jake Kasdan (who’s made the last two Jumanji pics with Johnson) directs with a supporting cast including Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons (as a kidnapped Santa Claus), Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, and Nick Kroll.

Budgeted at a reported whopping $250 million, Amazon MGM hopes family audiences will turn out in droves. Early signs are that it might not be the massive hit they’re hoping for and reviews aren’t assisting. The Rotten Tomatoes meter is at 35% with Metacritic at 37. The only Academy play would be Visual Effects and some of the reviews are criticizing the CG. Don’t expect this holiday concoction to be present at awards season. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Cocaine Bear Box Office Prediction

Cocaine Bear gets the animalistic truth in advertising award (previously held by Snakes on a Plane) as it blows into theaters on February 24th. Inspired by the true story of a creature who ingested the drug dropped by smugglers in Tennessee circa 1985, Elizabeth Banks directs. The cast (besides the bear) includes Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Christian Convery, Brooklyn Prince, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, and the late Ray Liotta.

The Universal release has garnered plenty of attention to the stranger than fiction storyline. Reviews aren’t available yet and they could determine how high this gets. While the advertising campaign has been robust, its appeal might be somewhat limited.

At best, I could see this reaching high teens. Bear could also struggle to reach double digits under a worst case scenario. I’ll split the difference.

Cocaine Bear opening weekend prediction: $14.3 million

For my Jesus Revolution prediction, click here: