For anybody who doesn’t want to watch the Super Bowl (or the 48
hours of coverage surrounding the event) this weekend, it’ll be easy to
find a movie at the multiplex…and hard to predict which one
will come out on top. The film gods are dropping three big new flicks
into theaters: the thriller Taken, the comedy New in Town, and the
horror pic The Uninvited. And those movies will go up against a slew of strong
holdovers, including two-time champ Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Clint
Eastwood’s Gran Torino, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, and the Oscar
nominated Slumdog Millionaire. Not to mention the expanding Best Picture nominees Milk and The Reader. A tight race, indeed! Complicating
matters, of course, is Sunday’s Steelers-Cardinals matchup, which
should depress movie grosses pretty substantially. Anyway, here’s what I
think we have in store.
1. Taken — $14 million
Liam Neeson plays a former CIA agent on
the trail of the sex traffickers who kidnapped his daughter (Lost‘s
Maggie Grace) in Paris. Also involved are Neeson’s character’s ex-wife
(Famke Janssen) and her rich new husband (Xander Berkeley). From
writer-producer Luc Besson (The Professional, the Transporter series).
Sounds like a classic guy movie — which could have trouble playing on a classic guy weekend, opposite football. I’m guessing, though, that all movies will take a hit from the big game, so Taken (playing in a hefty 3,183 theaters) still has the
best chance of scoring a box office touchdown.
2. The Uninvited — $12 million
Another Asian horror remake, this
one featuring Elizabeth Banks and David Strathairn, among others. In
2008, four different Asian horror remakes opened between $10 mil and
$13 mil. Enough said.
3. Paul Blart: Mall Cop — $12 million
Kevin James keeps cruising along, naysayers be damned.
4. Gran Torino — $11 million
Clint Eastwood keeps cruising along, Oscars be damned.
5. New in Town — $9 million
I totally thought the trailer for
this comedy (in which Renee Zellweger plays a warm-climate lady sent to
do business in the frozen Midwest) looked cute and made the movie seem
like a winner…and then I read this revealing article in The New
Yorker,
which details, among other things, the challenges the film presented to
the marketing folks at Lionsgate. So now I understand why it’s only
opening in a moderate 1,941 theaters. And now I also have some doubts
about its prospects.
Okay, sports fans, it’s your turn to have a go at making some predictions!
More Box Office News:
Paul Blart edges out Underworld 3 to win the weekend
EW.com’s Box Office Chart
Paul Blart: Mall Cop wins the weekend
Gran Torino drives away with a win
Batman was a blockbuster, but did 2008 bomb?
addCredit(“Stephanie Branchu”)
I think that The Univited will beat Taken. I have never even heard of Liam Neisons newest movie before this article. So I would say that out of those two movies, The Uninvited would win the box office, Unless a movie like Paul Bart wins the box office again which isn’t that unlikely.
“I have never even heard of Liam Neisons newest movie before this article.”
Grant, have you been living in a cave? That’s all I ever see are trailers for this dumb revenge movie. Liam Neeson is better than this (I would hope).
I can’t believe “taken” has taken so long to open in the US… I saw this movie in Mexico since August in the theatres!!!! And let me tell you… IT IS GOOOOOD!!!!!!! It reminded me of Denzel’s Man on Fire.
Oh dear – New in Town sounds abysmal. But that may be because of my dislike of Renee Zellwegger in romcom roles. Or most roles, actually. Taken sounds much better – I like a good actioner – I guess I just don’t fall into that women over 25 group very well.
I have no idea why Taken is opening this weekend. It doesn’t take an industry insider the realize that it seems counter-intuitive.
My big plan, Taken on Saturday afternoon, Superbowl the entire time after! Yah, this is gonna be a kick ass weekend.
My nephew is viewing a website valled watch-movies.net where he can watch the current releases. How is that allowed? Can he get in trouble for that? Anybody have any idea?
1)Taken- $20 million
2)The Univited- $13 million
3)Paul Blart- $12.5 million
4)New In Town- $11 million
5)Gran Torino- $10 million
I will definetly go see Taken this weekend. Looks great.
taken, the best movie. hands down!