Thursday morning the 2016 Oscar nominations were announced, with one film leading the pack in terms of potential wins. How will these kudos affect the box office this weekend? Will a new release hit the top? Here are our predictions:
This weekend sees the release of 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, a new film by Michael Bay about six soldiers who fought to defend the American diplomatic building in 2012. Bay gets a lot of bad publicity for his big budget action films (do people actually enjoy the Transformer movies?), and according to Rotten Tomatoes, 13 Hours hasn’t been scoring with critics either, even though its a far more dramatic film. With the lacklustre buzz and the star power for our projected number one, don’t expect big things for 13 Hours. Look for a fourth place debut with $20 million.
So what will hit first place? If you’re a betting person, I’d put your money on Ride Along 2, starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube. The first film, released exactly two years ago, did more than $140 million at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo. The sequel will likely do well this weekend as a result. Look for a first place showing with $42 million.
As for the rest of the top five, The Revenant, which scored 12 Oscar nominations Thursday morning, including ones for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, should perform strongly, hitting second place with $33 million. Star Wars: The Force Awakens should be right behind it in third place with $32.5 million, as that film inches its way even closer to $900 million. Look for Daddy’s Home to close things out in fifth place with $13 million.
So, to recap, here are our predictions:
1) Ride Along 2 – $42 million
2) The Revenant – $33 million
3) Star Wars: Force Awakens – $32.5 million
4) 13 Hours – $20 million
5) Daddy’s Home – $13 million
Be sure to check back on Sunday to see how the weekend turns out!
