Weekend Predictions: 'Django Unchained', 'Les Miserables' & 'Parental Guidance'
Featured Stories - on December 26, 2012 by BOXOFFICE Staff
Crowds will be in full force this weekend as audiences have their plates filled with eight new releases since December 21. This final weekend of 2012 should be a big one thanks to the rush of adults and kids alike between the lucrative Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Django Unchained
PROS:
- Quentin Tarantino's established fan base plus his added appeal coming off the huge success of Inglorious Basterds three years ago gives this some of the highest upfront awareness that a Tarantino film has ever had.
- The all-star ensemble cast will attract a variety of audiences.
- Marketing has been steady and consistent while reviews are excellent.
CONS:
- The Christmas-timed release for a violent film could put off some moviegoers.
Les Miserables (2012)
PROS:
- The musical stands as one of the most beloved of all-time.
- An all-star cast helps to turn this into even more of a must-see film for the general audience.
- Reviews have been solid and the film is already generating significant Oscar buzz, particularly for Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman.
- Pre-sales on Fandango reached record status for a Christmas release, topping their 2009 advance sales activity for Sherlock Holmes.
CONS:
- Musicals are hit and miss at the box office. Could Les Miserables be front-loaded by its fans?
Parental Guidance
PROS:
- Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei offer some familiarity for adult audiences.
- The family market is relatively empty right now with Monsters, Inc. 3D performing at low levels and The Hobbit remaining the only viable option since November releases.
- Past family comedies released at this time of year have over-performed. See: Cheaper by the Dozen.
CONS:
- The older cast could easily be a turn-off for younger audiences.
- Are Crystal and Midler still strong enough box office draws for older crowds?
Check out our predictions for these films and the rest of this weekend's top 10 in the table below.
| Title | Release Date | Distributor | Opening Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Dec 14, 2012 | Warner Bros. / New Line |
$32,300,000 | $219,500,000 |
| Les Miserables (2012) | Dec 25, 2012 | Universal |
$28,800,000 | $64,500,000 |
| Django Unchained | Dec 25, 2012 | Weinstein Company |
$22,800,000 | $52,500,000 |
| Parental Guidance | Dec 25, 2012 | Fox |
$14,300,000 | $29,000,000 |
| Jack Reacher | Dec 21, 2012 | Paramount |
$13,300,000 | $44,800,000 |
| This is 40 | Dec 21, 2012 | Universal |
$12,700,000 | $38,200,000 |
| The Guilt Trip | Dec 19, 2012 | Paramount |
$7,500,000 | $23,200,000 |
| Lincoln | Nov 9, 2012 | Disney / DreamWorks |
$6,500,000 | $130,500,000 |
| Monsters, Inc. 3D | Dec 19, 2012 | Disney |
$5,800,000 | $17,800,000 |
| Rise of The Guardians | Nov 21, 2012 | Paramount / DreamWorks |
$4,700,000 | $89,500,000 |
| Skyfall | Nov 8, 2012 | Sony / Columbia |
$4,500,000 | $289,200,000 |
| Life of Pi | Nov 21, 2012 | Fox |
$4,300,000 | $85,500,000 |
| Silver Linings Playbook | Nov 16, 2012 | Weinstein Company |
$3,800,000 | $27,300,000 |
Phil Contrino, Daniel Garris, Alex Edghill and Shawn Robbins contributed to this report.
orlando on 27 December 2012
You guys put way too much stock in "The Hobbit" and you still have'nt learned you're lessons have you, just hardheaded, haha. First you went way overboard by overpredicting it's opening weekend and overall box office take, 445 million domestic, please gimmie a break. Now you actually think it will make more than it did last weekend and outgross "Django Unchained" & "Les Miserables" this weekend, you're the only site i know predicting this. Get over it "The Hoobit" is a hit but not nearly the hit you predicted and you're still desperately trying to hold out hope it's going to play like "LOTR" films, it's not.
lewislee23 on 29 December 2012
^ridiculous. The Hobbit outgrossed Les Miserables and Django Unchained on Thursday. And The Hobbit goes into its 3rd weekend, while LM and DU their 1st weekend. It is far more reasonable that TH will take #1 this weekend.