The weekend this time around technically started earlier this week with Christmas, so the battle has already begun. Joining the reigning king, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, and its competition from last week, the second sequel to Night at the Museum and the latest remake of Annie, are Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, the big screen adaptation of Into the Woods, crime drama The Gambler, Tim Burton’s Big Eyes, and even a limited release of the controversial The Interview. Meet me after the jump to see how the folks here at Biff Bam Pop! are thinking it will look when the dust clears at the end of the weekend.
We’re going to say The Hobbit stays on top this weekend. A Tolkien fantasy in the theaters has almost become a holiday tradition, and we think folks will still be headed to see how the story of The Hobbit ends. Coming in for a close second will be yet another holiday tradition, a Broadway classic coming to the big screen, Into the Woods. With an all-star cast and built-in family appeal, we think this adult take on fairy tales will be right up there with Peter Jackson’s epic fantasy.
I don’t think The Interview will place with such a limited release, but I believe another film heavily impacted by the infamous Sony hack, Unbroken, will do quite well this weekend, closing in on third place. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb will continue to do well with the great Rebel Wilson, and its sad final performance of Robin Williams. I also think that folks looking for action and quirky dramedy over the holidays will find it in The Gambler and Big Eyes.
So, to recap, let’s look at the money and the predictions:
1) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – $32 million
2) Into the Woods – $30 million
3) Unbroken – $25 million
4) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – $15 million
5) The Gambler – $12 million
Of course, I am not the sharpshooting prognosticator that regular box office predictor Andy Burns is, so my guess is I’m way off. Be sure to check back on Sunday when Andy lets you know how the weekend really turned out!
