New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Monkeys slapping Ben Stiller=$$$$$$$$$

Kim Hollis: What are your thoughts and expectations for the box office performance of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian?

Brandon Scott: It will do well, as sequels generally do, and it seems the box office climate is ripe for this one. The first was a shocking success, so I anticipate this to be less successful in net dollars but perhaps equal or slightly more in gross dollars. This is of course, me reaching with no stats/data in front of me.

Joel Corcoran: A few months from now, when we're looking back fondly on the 2009 summer box office, I think we're going to be scratching our heads and wondering just how Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian beat out Terminator Salvation on the opening weekend. I don't have any stats or data in front of me either, but just looking at the release schedule, Night at the Museum is poised to sweep up as the "family film" of Memorial Day Weekend. It'll probably get crushed by Up the next weekend, and then will face direct competition in the family action-comedy genre by Land of the Lost on its third weekend, but it could hold up nicely (particularly if Land of the Lost is as bad as some rumors say it is).

Tim Briody: Quick, name the second highest grossing film of 2006. Yes, because I'm mentioning this here you can probably guess it was Night at the Museum. $250 million is nothing to sneeze at. It's going to clean up handily as a top line option for families for the first part of the summer.





Josh Spiegel: As mediocre as it will likely be (if it's anything like the first film), Night at the Museum 2 will indeed probably hit some high numbers next month. Adults can take comfort with comic actors they love for not being so often family-friendly, such as Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, and the kids will get a kick out of the goofy goings-on. I imagine that Up and Night at the Museum will be fighting for the top family film of the summer.

Sean Collier: Anything that's going to work across so many demographics is bound to be a juggernaut on Memorial Day Weekend. The first one was an unexpected (and unexplainable) success, and the timing is right for a sequel. It's an easy hit.

Max Braden: The change in seasons makes me wonder a little since the first Night at the Museum opened at Christmas, going from $30 million to $250 million with a six month run in theaters. That ratio will tighten up with a summer release, but I don't think $200 million will be a problem for the sequel.

Jim Van Nest: Fine...I'll say it. $100 million over Memorial Day weekend. I think that's a very good possibility here. Everyone keeps talking about this being the "family film", but the first one proved to be more than that. Almost everyone went to see it and those that didn't have certainly seen the DVD by now. As much as I love me some Pixar...I don't think Up stands a chance against this one. I see high $200s for Night at the Museum.

Continued:       1       2       3       4