Will a girl with a dragon tattoo manage to hold off a Hollywood icon from the top of the heap this weekend, or will it literally be Mission: Impossible? And where will The Adventures of Tintin fit in? Find out how I think the box office will turn out this Christmas weekend after the jump.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has been a huge bestseller globally, introducing the character of Lisbeth Salander to the masses and impying that computer hacking has its place in society. It’s also been made into a stellar Swedish miniseries and film staring Noomi Rapace that actually made some money in North America (read all about it here). This remake has a brilliant pedigree though, with directer David Fincher and Daniel Craig staring alongside up and coming actrees Rooney Mara. Reviews have been stellar for the film, but keep in mind that this is dark, dark subject matter, especially for the holiday season. That’s just one reason that I think The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo will only make it to number two at the box office this weekend, bringing in $25 million.
The Adventures of Tintin is an adaptation of the classic kids comic and is directed by Steven Spielberg. The film has already opened in Europe, where the character is infinitely more popular and has done great business. However, it’s going to be an uphill battle for the film in North America. Look for a fifth place debut with $12 million.
Also opening this weekend is We Bought A Zoo, staring the dream team of Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. The concept is self-explanatory, and should be some decent family fare for the weekend. Look for a fourth place debut with $13.5 million.
As for the rest of the top five, look for Mission:Impossible – Ghost Protocol to top the box office in its first weekend of wide release after being rolled out in IMAX theatres only last weekend. Word of mouth has been superb, as have reviews, and the film has been on top of the box office throughout the week. Look for a gross of $30 million to take the weekend. Meanwhile, last week’s number one film, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows will suffer a drop to number 3, and bring in roughly $19 million.
So, to recap, here’s our predictions:
1) Mission:Impossible – Ghost Protocol – $30 million
2) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – $25 million
3) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – $19 million
4) We Bought A Zoo – $13.5 million
5) The Adventures of Tintin – $12 million
Be sure to check back on Christmas Day to see how the weekend turned out!
