Long Range Forecast: 'The Expendables 2', 'ParaNorman, 'Sparkle', & 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green'
Featured Stories - on June 23, 2012 by BOXOFFICE Staff
This week, we've added four new releases to our Long Range Forecast. The Odd Life of Timothy Green is currently scheduled to open on Wednesday, August 15 while The Expendables 2, ParaNorman, and Sparkle will open on Friday, August 17.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
PROS:
- The Disney brand name.
- Could generate good word of mouth.
CONS:
- Could be the type of film that neither kids nor adults really want to see.
- Not based on a book; no built-in audience for this.
- Jennifer Garner has a spotty box office history.
The Expendables 2
PROS:
- The first film seemed to be a crowd pleaser.
- Likely being the last big film of the summer could be an advantage.
- Adding Norris and Van Damme on top of expanded roles for Arnold and Bruce should count for something among fans.
CONS:
- Competition from the other early August releases aimed at action fans and adults could offset the benefit it gets from the new additions to the cast.
ParaNorman
PROS:
- Coraline was well received back in 2009.
- No new family films hit the marketplace until September 14 when Finding Nemo 3D opens. Should lead to back-loading.
- This is the first kiddie flick to open since Ice Age: Continental Drift over one month earlier, so families will probably be looking for something fresh.
CONS:
- The darker tone and later summer release should hold it back from breaking out (ala Monster House in 2006).
- Potential demand could be limited from families already having seen Madagascar 3, Brave and Ice Age: Continental Drift this summer.
- As a Focus release, it very likely won't have as large a location count as typical animated films do.
Sparkle
PROS:
- Could have sleeper potential, depending in part on whether or not fans want to see Whitney Houston's final performance.
- There have been very few films with predominantly African-American casts this summer.
- The soundtrack could prove to be a big help.
CONS:
- The nearly 16-year gap between it and The Preacher's Wife.
- Houston's fanbase will likely lead to front-loading.
- Could have trouble drawing in male moviegoers.
Notable changes on our forecast this week include The Amazing Spider-Man, Magic Mike, Ted, Madea's Witness Protection, People Like Us, The Dark Knight Rises, The Watch, The Campaign, and Hope Springs.
Check out our predictions for these and other upcoming films in the table below.
| Title | Release Date | Distributor | Opening Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkle (2012) | Aug 17, 2012 | Sony / TriStar |
$14,000,000 | $38,000,000 |
| The Expendables 2 | Aug 17, 2012 | Lionsgate |
$37,000,000 | $105,000,000 |
| ParaNorman | Aug 17, 2012 | Focus |
$19,000,000 | $70,000,000 |
| The Odd Life of Timothy Green | Aug 15, 2012 | Disney |
$7,500,000† | $28,000,000 |
| The Campaign | Aug 10, 2012 | Warner Bros. |
$31,000,000 | $105,000,000 |
| The Bourne Legacy | Aug 10, 2012 | Universal |
$40,000,000 | $130,000,000 |
| Hope Springs (2012) | Aug 10, 2012 | Sony / Columbia |
$24,000,000 | $106,000,000 |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | Aug 3, 2012 | Fox |
$19,000,000 | $52,000,000 |
| The Watch | Jul 27, 2012 | 20th Century Fox |
$29,000,000 | $95,000,000 |
| Step Up Revolution | Jul 27, 2012 | Lionsgate / Summit |
$12,000,000 | $31,000,000 |
| The Dark Knight Rises | Jul 20, 2012 | Warner Bros. |
$190,000,000 | $530,000,000 |
| Ice Age: Continental Drift | Jul 13, 2012 | Fox |
$59,000,000 | $200,000,000 |
| Savages | Jul 6, 2012 | Universal |
$14,000,000 | $45,000,000 |
| Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D | Jul 5, 2012 | Paramount |
$16,000,000† | $50,000,000 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man | Jul 3, 2012 | Sony / Columbia |
$64,000,000† | $230,000,000 |
| Ted (2012) | Jun 29, 2012 | Universal |
$23,000,000 | $85,000,000 |
| Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection | Jun 29, 2012 | Lionsgate |
$19,000,000 | $43,000,000 |
| People Like Us | Jun 29, 2012 | Disney |
$7,000,000 | $25,000,000 |
| Magic Mike | Jun 29, 2012 | Warner Bros. |
$25,000,000 | $83,000,000 |
† = 3-day weekend (Friday through Sunday)
Phil Contrino, Daniel Garris, Alex Edghill and Shawn Robbins contributed to this article.
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