Weekend Predictions: 'Zero Dark Thirty', 'A Haunted House' & 'Gangster Squad'
Featured Stories - on January 09, 2013 by BOXOFFICE Staff
This weekend sees the wide release of three films, including Gangster Squad and A Haunted House. The most buzzed-about release, however, is the expansion of Zero Dark Thirty. The film has been in limited release for several weeks and on the heels of plenty of awards buzz will make its way into theaters nationwide.
Zero Dark Thirty
PROS:
- Brings with it considerable Oscar buzz and a likely boost in interest once nominations are revealed on Thursday.
- Has performed exceptionally well in limited release, on par with or ahead of Black Hawk Down at the same time in 2001/2002.
- Director Kathryn Bigelow carries some goodwill after the Oscar and home video market success of The Hurt Locker.
- The mostly untold story of bin Laden's killing could provide catharsis in some ways for viewers.
CONS:
- Are audiences willing or ready to see a film about Osama bin Laden?
- Modern war-related movies don't typically do well at the box office.
- A lot of competition for adult audiences will make chances for a breakout even harder.
Gangster Squad
PROS:
- The ensemble cast could attract general audiences.
- The strong marketing push from Warner Bros. has generated significant awareness.
CONS:
- Gangster movies don't usually break out either.
- Faces direct competition for adult audiences with Zero Dark Thirty.
A Haunted House
PROS:
- It's been awhile since a comedy aimed for the young adult audience.
- Twitter activity has been relatively strong for the film.
CONS:
- The paranormal genre may have played out too soon for this spoof to have as much relevance as it could.
- Fans of this kind of movie may be waiting for April's Scary Movie 5.
Check out our predictions for these films and the rest of the top 10 in the table below.
| Title | Release Date | Distributor | Opening Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero Dark Thirty | Dec 19, 2012 | Sony / Columbia |
$24,600,000 | $30,000,000 |
| A Haunted House | Jan 11, 2013 | Open Road |
$17,900,000 | $17,900,000 |
| Gangster Squad | Jan 11, 2013 | Warner Bros. |
$17,800,000 | $17,800,000 |
| Django Unchained | Dec 25, 2012 | Weinstein Company |
$15,000,000 | $130,300,000 |
| Les Miserables (2012) | Dec 25, 2012 | Universal |
$11,500,000 | $121,200,000 |
| The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Dec 14, 2012 | Warner Bros. / New Line |
$10,000,000 | $279,300,000 |
| Texas Chainsaw 3D | Jan 4, 2013 | Lionsgate |
$7,500,000 | $33,300,000 |
| Parental Guidance | Dec 25, 2012 | Fox |
$5,700,000 | $60,400,000 |
| Jack Reacher | Dec 21, 2012 | Paramount |
$4,800,000 | $72,800,000 |
| Lincoln | Nov 9, 2012 | Disney / DreamWorks |
$4,700,000 | $150,900,000 |
| This is 40 | Dec 21, 2012 | Universal |
$4,500,000 | $61,600,000 |
| Silver Linings Playbook | Nov 16, 2012 | Weinstein Company |
$4,000,000 | $40,300,000 |
Phil Contrino, Daniel Garris, Alex Edghill and Shawn Robbins contributed to this report.
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