Blowing away even the most optimistic box office predictions, The Twilight Saga: New Moon [TWLI2] doubled up on the opening of the original Twilight. Summit has a blockbuster franchise that’s powered by an audience that’s 80% female. The romance earned over $10 million this past Monday and Tuesday. Even with a weekend drop-off of 60%, New Moon may stake another $70 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday.
Moviegoers also fell for the feel-good sports drama The Blind Side [BLDSD]. With excellent word of mouth, The Blind Side will have strong legs that could carry another $35 million during the long weekend.
The team behind Wild Hogs is back with Old Dogs [OLDOG]. John Travolta [JTRAV] and Robin Williams [RWILL] play bumbling men being thrust upon with the responsibility of parenthood. Even though the reviews have been terrible, the PG-rated comedy from Disney should attract families over the Thanksgiving holiday. Opening in 3425 theaters, Old Dogs could lap up $33 million from Wednesday to Sunday.
Ninja Assassin [NINJA] stars Rain [JHJUN] as a, well, ninja assassin. The R-rated action film hopes to attract young men, who have been underserved with recent offerings, while young women have New Moon. Sneaking into 2503 locations, Ninja Assassin could slice away $20 million over five days.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox [MRFOX] is the first animated film directed by Wes Anderson [WANDE], whose fans packed theaters during its limited release last weekend. Fox hopes the quirky comedy will successfully cross-over to the family crowd. Expanding into wide release at 2033 theaters, The Fantastic Mr. Fox could nab roughly $16 million over the long weekend.
Lionsgate’s Precious [PRCUS] expands into 663 theaters for Thanksgiving. The critically acclaimed drama looks to pick up another $14 million as it makes its way through award season.
That’s the whisper from the trading floor.
Tag(s): TWLI2, BLDSD, OLDOG, JTRAV, RWILL, NINJA, JHJUN, MRFOX, WANDE, PRCUS