Weekend Predictions: 'Broken City', 'The Last Stand' & 'Mama'
Featured Stories - on January 16, 2013 by BOXOFFICE Staff
Three new films go into wide release this weekend as part of the extended 4-day weekend in honor of Martin Luther King Day (Monday). Broken City, The Last Stand and Mama will each debut on Friday, January 18.
Broken City
PROS:
- Mark Wahlberg has a reputation for being able to exceed expectations at the box office recently. Last January's Contraband particularly comes to mind.
- The added appeal of Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones, while beyond their peak as draws, could play a role too.
CONS:
- Competition for the adult audience is stiff right now with Oscar nominees getting a boost.
- Opening against The Last Stand will cut into its potential.
- Twitter and Flixster activity have been lacking.
The Last Stand
PROS:
- Arnold's return to a leading role will entice his fans.
- The film's early critical response is better than many expected. Could this sway some last minute viewers?
CONS:
- Again, current market competition limits any potential breakout.
- The Expendables 2 opened softer than expected last summer despite heavy marketing that featured Arnold and a number of other action stars.
- Social media activity has been slow.
Mama
PROS:
- The PG-13 rating guarantees a teenage audience's ability to show up.
- Recent horror breakouts, namely 2012's The Devil Inside, give the genre a strong track record on opening weekend.
- Guillermo del Toro's name has been featured heavily in the marketing which will at least bring out some of his niche fan base.
- Jessica Chastain is riding a wave of buzz thanks to her award-winning presence in last week's #1 film, Zero Dark Thirty. Could there be some spillover to Mama for her growing fan base?
CONS:
- Facing two new openers plus existing competition is more than Devil Inside faced last year when it opened January practically by itself.
- Did Texas Chainsaw 3D dilute any of the demand for another horror flick so soon?
Check out our 4-day weekend predictions for these films and the rest of the top 12 in the table below.
| Title | Release Date | Distributor | Opening Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mama | Jan 18, 2013 | Universal |
$19,300,000 | $19,300,000 |
| Zero Dark Thirty | Dec 19, 2012 | Sony / Columbia |
$19,000,000 | $57,500,000 |
| Broken City | Jan 18, 2013 | Fox |
$15,800,000 | $15,800,000 |
| Silver Linings Playbook | Nov 16, 2012 | Weinstein Company |
$12,500,000 | $56,500,000 |
| Gangster Squad | Jan 11, 2013 | Warner Bros. |
$12,000,000 | $35,300,000 |
| The Last Stand | Jan 18, 2013 | Lionsgate |
$11,000,000 | $11,000,000 |
| A Haunted House | Jan 11, 2013 | Open Road |
$10,900,000 | $32,500,000 |
| Django Unchained | Dec 25, 2012 | Weinstein Company |
$10,000,000 | $140,300,000 |
| Les Miserables (2012) | Dec 25, 2012 | Universal |
$8,500,000 | $131,000,000 |
| The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Dec 14, 2012 | Warner Bros. / New Line |
$7,800,000 | $288,800,000 |
| Lincoln | Nov 9, 2012 | Disney / DreamWorks |
$6,200,000 | $161,400,000 |
| Parental Guidance | Dec 25, 2012 | Fox |
$5,800,000 | $67,800,000 |
Phil Contrino, Daniel Garris, Alex Edghill and Shawn Robbins contributed to this report.
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