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

I found some Legos and then built a new franchise!

The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie, the best reviewed wide-release of the year (ask again in December and it still might be a contender for that title) opens to an awesome $17.1 million on Friday. While Frozen has run its course to the tune of $363 million and The Nut Job’s $51 million proves that some people will take their kids to see anything, The Lego Movie is a film that has wide appeal across all ages (as the advertising has proven; also, the Lego video games are a lot of fun) and that combined with the off the charts reviews give it easily the biggest opening weekend of 2014 and launches a new franchise. The Lego Movie should have an incredible opening weekend of $60.7 million.

Monuments Men

George Clooney’s Monuments Men opened to $7 million on Friday. This is fine for what it is and a testament to star power if nothing else. It should draw in some older audiences not interested in Legos, though the response seems to be the mix of comedy and subject matter is off putting. Clooney’s first critical misfire as a director should end the weekend with about $21 million.

Vampire Academy

With just $1.4 million on Friday, class is dismissed for Vampire Academy. Let’s give it $4 million for the weekend and then never speak of it again.

Projected Estimates for the Top Ten (Three-Day)
Projected Rank	Film	Estimated Gross
1	The Lego Movie	60.7
2	Monuments Men	20.9
3	Ride Along	8.7
4	Frozen	5.5
5	Lone Survivor	5.0
6	That Awkward Moment	4.9
7	Vampire Academy	4.0
8	Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit	3.2
9	The Nut Job	2.9
10	American Hustle	2.7