Tag: Primate

January 23-25 Box Office Predictions

Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson headline the sci-fi thriller Mercy this weekend and it looks to be the only newbie with a shot at the top spot or top 5 for that matter. You can peruse my detailed prediction post on it here:

Mercy Box Office Prediction

With word-of-mouth lacking, Mercy has the air of a streaming title that is going the multiplex route. A debut over $10 million is certainly possible, but I’m going a tad lower. My estimate would put it just behind Avatar: Fire and Ash which I’m giving an unexpected sixth week atop the rankings.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was a major disappointment out of the gate (more on that below). Despite an encouraging A- Cinemascore grade (the best of the four features in the long running franchise), it should experience the heftiest decline in the upper half of the charts. That likely means a slide from 2nd to 5th. Holdovers Zootopia 2 and The Housemaid should remain sturdier.

Return to Silent Hill is another new offering. I didn’t do an individual post for the horror threequel and I have it at $2.2 million, putting it well outside the top 5.

Here’s how I have it shaking out:

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash

Predicted Gross: $9.8 million

2. Mercy

Predicted Gross: $9.3 million

3. Zootopia 2

Predicted Gross: $6.8 million

4. The Housemaid

Predicted Gross: $6.2 million

5. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Predicted Gross: $5.5 million

Box Office Results (January 16-18)

In an unanticipated twist, Avatar: Fire and Ash managed to place 1st for a fifth week over MLK weekend with $14.4 million from Friday to Sunday. That’s a tad below my $15.5 million forecast as the third pic in the series is up to $364 million.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple severely underperformed with $12.5 million for runner-up status. Even with the MLK Monday factored in ($14.4 million over four days), that’s less than half of what predecessor 28 Years Later brought in last summer and easily under my $20.1 million take.

Zootopia 2 was third in weekend #8 with $9.1 million, in line with my $8.6 million call. The Disney sequel stands at $390 million with $400 million around the corner.

The Housemaid was fourth with $8.5 million (I said $8.9 million) as the blockbuster thriller crossed nine digits with $107 million after five weeks.

Marty Supreme rounded out the top five and I incorrectly didn’t have it there. With an additional $5.4 million in its coffers, the total stands at $79 million and it has become A24’s largest domestic earner.

Finally, Primate was sixth with $5 million, not matching my $6 million projection. The rabid chimp saga has made $19 million after two weeks.

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

January 16-18 Box Office Predictions

Avatar: Fire and Ash should finally relinquish its box office crown after four weeks to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. You can peruse my detailed prediction post on fourth entry in the post-apocalyptic franchise here:

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Box Office Prediction

Bone follows 28 Years Later by only seven months. While I don’t envision it matching the $30 million start achieved by its predecessor, my $20M projection has it leading the way over Avatar which should see a lower to mid teens gross.

Holdovers should populate the rest of the top 5. I will note the possibility that anime flick All You Need is Kill could make the cut in its domestic debut, but I’m not doing an estimate since I haven’t seen a theater count. If that dynamic changes and I feel it could make the high five, I’ll update. Same goes for the expansion of freshly minted Golden Globe Best Drama recipient Hamnet.

This is MLK weekend though I’m only predicting the traditional Friday to Sunday portion of the frame. You usually see smaller drops for leftover titles during this time period. Primate seems poised for the biggest dip. Here’s how I see it shaking out:

1. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Predicted Gross: $20.1 million

2. Avatar: Fire and Ash

Predicted Gross: $15.5 million

3. The Housemaid

Predicted Gross: $8.9 million

4. Zootopia 2

Predicted Gross: $8.6 million

5. Primate

Predicted Gross: $6 million

Box Office Results (January 9-11)

Avatar: Fire and Ash made it a four-peat with $21.5 million, on track with my $20 million call. That brings the third offering in James Cameron’s epic series to $342 million thus far.

Primate scored the highest debut of the newcomers (something I incorrectly forecasted) with $11.1 million in second. The monkey gone wild tale topped my $9.7 million prediction for a respectable start.

The Housemaid continued its meager drops in third with $10.9 million, ahead of my $8.2 million guesstimate. The buzzy thriller is nearing nine digits with $93 million in the bank.

Zootopia 2 was fourth with $10 million (I said $9.8 million) to bring its gargantuan haul to $378 million with $400 million domestic easily in its sights.

Gerard Butler action sequel Greenland 2: Migration struggled in fifth with $8.4 million compared to my $12.9 million prediction. I wrongly thought it would place second.

Finally, Bradley Cooper’s third directorial feature Is This Thing On? didn’t stand out with audiences. In its wide expansion, it was 11th with $2.3 million. I went a tad higher at $2.6 million and it’s made $3.4 million total when factoring its limited release.

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

January 9-11 Box Office Predictions

The initial cinematic experiences of 2026 arrive this weekend via disaster flick sequel Greenland 2: Migration, animalistic horror tale Primate, and the nationwide expansion of dramedy Is This Thing On? You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the trio here:

Greenland 2: Migration Box Office Prediction
Primate Box Office Prediction
Is This Thing On? Box Office Prediction

My near teens projection for Gerard Butler’s Migration would give it the highest debut of the newcomers, but that won’t be near enough to dislodge Avatar: Fire and Ash from a fourth frame atop the rankings. Now that the Christmas corridor has lapsed, holdovers should generally see declines in the 50% or so range.

Primate could certainly over perform as the genre sometimes does, but I’ve got it in a race with a fellow (and family friendlier) creature feature in the seventh weekend of Zootopia 2. The Housemaid should round out the top five.

As for Bradley Cooper’s third directorial feature Is This Thing On?, my meager $2.6 million take puts it well outside the top half of the charts. It might even fail to make the top 10. I’m expecting the same for Angel Studios’ I Was a Stranger. I didn’t do an individual prediction post for it. I’ll say $2.4 million.

And with that, here’s how I see it shaking out:

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash

Predicted Gross: $20 million

2. Greenland 2: Migration

Predicted Gross: $12.9 million

3. Zootopia 2

Predicted Gross: $9.8 million

4. Primate

Predicted Gross: $9.7 million

5. The Housemaid

Predicted Gross: $8.2 million

Box Office Results (January 2-4)

It was a heap of holiday leftovers as 2026 rang in with Avatar: Fire and Ash dominating with $41.4 million, in line with my $41.4 million call. The James Cameron threequel is up to $307 million after three weeks. This will not reach the heights of its predecessors, but I would imagine the studio would have no qualms with future sequels.

Zootopia 2 only eased 2% in weekend #6 with $19.3 million, toppling my $15.3 million prediction. The Disney blockbuster stands at $364 million.

The Housemaid has developed commendable legs with only a 1% dip at $15.1 million compared to my $12.5 million estimate. The buzzy thriller has earned $75 million after three weeks with nine digits in its sights.

Marty Supreme was fourth with $12.5 million (I went a little higher at $14.2 million) as the potential Timothée Chalamet Oscar winner has grown to $56 million in its second frame of wide release.

Anaconda rounded out the top five with $10 million, slithering beyond my $8 million projection for $45 million after two weeks.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants found itself in sixth with $8.3 millon (I said $7.7 million) for $57 million after three weeks,

Biblical animated pic David was seventh with $7.6 million, a touch ahead of my $6.5 million guesstimate for $69 million in three weeks,

Finally, Song Sung Blue was eighth with $5.8 million (I said $6 million) with $25 million now in the coffers of the musical drama.

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

Primate Box Office Prediction

After premiering at Fantastic Fest last September, Primate swings into multiplexes on January 9th. Centered on a chimp gone rabid during a family vacation, Johannes Roberts (no stranger to the genre with 47 Meters Down and The Strangers: Prey at Night to his credit) directs. Non-monkey cast members include Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, and Troy Kotsur.

With 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, reviewers are calling it a fun creature feature throwback. This probably won’t get near the $14 million achieved by last year’s The Monkey, which focused on a demented title character of the toy variety.

As I’ve written many times, horror pics always have the ability to exceed estimates. With that caveat, I’ll project high single digits.

Primate opening weekend prediction: $9.7 million

For my Greenland 2: Migration prediction, click here:

Greenland 2: Migration Box Office Prediction

For my Is This Thing On? prediction, click here:

Is This Thing On? Box Office Prediction