March 20-22 Box Office Predictions

Blogger’s Update (03/19): Upping my Project Hail Mary prediction from $59 million to $69 million and adding Dhurandhar the Revenge to the #5 spot at $7.8 million.

Amazon MGM space adventure Project Hail Mary looks to dominate the box office this weekend while Searchlight searches for horror fans to boost Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the newcomers here:

With high star reviews, Mary appears poised for an impressive showing out of the gate (it will need it with the reported $200M+ budget). My prediction has it reaching nearly $60 million as it hopes for a long run in the coming weeks.

Barring a significant overperformance, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come should place third in low double digits behind the third frame of current champ Hoppers.

The remainder of the top five should go to holdovers Reminders of Him in its sophomore frame (more on its solid performance below) and Scream 7.

Here’s how I see it shaking out:

1. Project Hail Mary

Predicted Gross: $69 million

2. Hoppers

Predicted Gross: $18.4 million

3. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Predicted Gross: $11.2 million

4. Reminders of Him

Predicted Gross: $9.2 million

5. Dhurandhar The Revenge

Predicted Gross: $7.8 million

6. Scream 7

Predicted Gross: $5.3 million

Box Office Results (March 13-15)

As anticipated, Disney/Pixar’s Hoppers stayed in 1st place while newcomers managed to outdo my projections. Hoppers made off with $28.6 million, just ahead of my $27.2 million prediction. The two-week earnings jumped to $86 million.

Reminders of Him, the romantic drama based on the Colleen Hoover novel, came in at the high end of expectations with $17.9 million in second. That’s well beyond my $10.4 million call. Look for it to drop in the high 40s in its second week.

Low-budget Canadian horror pic Undertone was third with $9.3 million. Like Reminders, it started out at the top of its expected range and past my meager $4.9 million take. I do think it will drop out of the top 5 this weekend with a percentage dip in the high 50s or more.

Scream 7 was fourth with $8.5 million, ahead of my $6.9 million forecast for a three-week tally of $106 million. It will match the $108 million take of its 2023 predecessor this week.

Goat rounded out the top five with $4.6 million (I said $4.3 million) as the animated sports tale is nearly at nine digits with $90 million.

Finally, The Bride! plummeted 70% in weekend #2 with just $2 million. I was more generous at $2.6 million. The two-week total for the WB flop is $11 million.

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

Oscar Predictions: Undertone

Canadian horror flick Undertone was made for a teensy reported budget of $500k with the A24 pickup arriving in theaters this weekend. It marks the directorial debut Ian Tuason with Nina Kiri and Adam DiMarco starring.

While its distributor hopes to turn a nifty profit considering the price tag, Undertone is worthy of an Oscar Predictions post for one specific reason. While the 78% Rotten Tomatoes rating and 67 Metacritic are fine, Undertone‘s plot centers on paranormal noises and other auditory aspects.

That raises the possibility of this scoring a Sound nomination. The question is whether the Academy’s voters remember it. That might depend on A24’s campaign. The biggest challenge might be making the shortlist of ten for consideration. Heavy hitters such as The Odyssey and Dune: Part Three loom. If Undertone does get named among the ten, a spot in the top five seems likely. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

March 13-15 Box Office Predictions

Two new features vie for audience attention as romantic drama Reminders of Him and low-budget Canadian horror flick Undertone make their way to multiplexes. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on them here:

It is highly unlikely that either comes close to bouncing Hoppers from a repeat performance in first. Reminders, based on a Colleen Hoover novel, should be second though I have it just topping $10 million for a subpar start.

I’m not expecting much from Undertone, but it could manage a 4th or 5th place showing considering The Bride! should plummet out of the top 5 after a dismal debut (more on that below).

Hoppers, as mentioned, should be #1 assuming a slide in the high 30s or low 40s with Scream 7 and Goat placing third and fourth.

Here’s how I see the top 6 shaking out:

1. Hoppers

Predicted Gross: $27.2 million

2. Reminder of Him

Predicted Gross: $10.4 million

3. Scream 7

Predicted Gross: $6.9 million

4. Undertone

Predicted Gross: $4.9 million

5. Goat

Predicted Gross: $4.3 million

6. The Bride!

Predicted Gross: $2.6 million

Box Office Results (March 6-8)

Disney/Pixar had a commendable opening for an original title as Hoppers earned $45.3 million, slightly topping my $43.6 million prediction. That’s a cut above recent studio originals Elemental and Elio which both failed to reach $30 million in their unveilings.

Scream 7 was runner-up and dropped a severe 73% in weekend #2 to $17 million, under my $19.5 million call. The latest franchise entry is up to $93 million.

The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s monster mash with Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, failed to collect RSVPs with only $7 million in third. I projected more at $10.3 million. With a reported $85 million price tag, this is a costly dud for Warner Bros.

Goat was fourth with $6.4 million (I said $5.8 million) as the animated tale has amassed $83 million in four weeks.

Wuthering Heights rounded out the top five with $3.7 million, in range with my $3.4 million forecast. The period romance, in its fourth week, stands at $78 million.

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

Undertone Box Office Prediction

A24 is looking for Undertone to scare up some business with the low-budget (reportedly $500k) Canadian horror pic dropping on March 13th. From writer/director Ian Tuason and starring Nina Kiri and Adam DiMarco, the distributor picked up the title after its premiere last summer at Fantasia Fest. At that time, it landed mostly solid reviews with 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 68 Metacritic.

That said, it’s hard to envision this having mass appeal as it should cater strictly to attentive genre followers. With no star power driving it and muted buzz, I suspect a debut under $5 million sounds about right.

Undertone opening weekend prediction: $4.9 million

For my Reminders of Him prediction, click here: