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Ryan Kyle: This is a fine gross for what was probably the most decent of expectations. Without a Valentine's Day release or a big name star in the lead, a $13 opening is passable. Sparks' films tend to be leggy and unless Age of Adaline is a real deathblow, a finish a bit below $40 million shouldn't be out of reason. The 10% Friday-to-Saturday drop is a bit concerning, but the date night rush could have inflated the numbers.

Edwin Davies: I'll echo Felix and Ryan and say that this is fine. It's doing better than last year's The Best of Me, the first Sparks adaptation in a while to really underperform in a big way, and it managed to do so despite starring two relative unknowns. Reviews are terrible but audiences seem to like it, so I imagine that it'll end up being a decent earner, though I imagine that the options on future Sparks novels will be a bit lower than they have been in the past since his brand is no longer a guaranteed drawer.

Michael Lynderey: I am disappointed, actually. I was surprised that Sparks' The Best of Me wasn't bigger last October, and I'm somewhat even more surprised this time around (though Longest Ride is ahead of of the previous Sparks film). This title had a more epic aura about it, as well as some choice rising stars (Scott Eastwood received a lot of hype online), and it had the weekend all to itself. Maybe the Sparks peak era (Dear John through Safe Haven) is behind us, or perhaps it's that that former film has inflated my expectations for how popular his work is. By the way, The Longest Ride, released in 2013, is actually Sparks' last book to date, and they're going back to his older titles for the next film adaptation, The Choice (scheduled for January). If the trend continues, I think The Choice will open to single digits. But you never know.

Kim Hollis: Woman in Gold expanded to 1,504 theaters and earned $5.5 million. What do you think of this result?

Ryan Kyle: I have honestly not even heard of this film until last weekend. For a drama with the very odd pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Helen Mirren (not much fan overlap there) and made for a rumored $11 million, $5.5 million from 1,504 theaters is a win. This also marks a successful expansion, nearly tripling its $2 million haul from opening weekend in only 258 venues. With what I imagine is a light marketing push, Weinstein company managed to service the audience looking for an arthouse film outside of the usual winter months. If another expansion takes hold next weekend, a finish upwards of $20 million can be a reality. The reviews have been so-so at only 52% on RottenTomatoes, but without any star-lead Oscar-bait-looking dramas in the marketplace, this seemed good enough to make do for some.

Edwin Davies: This is a good example of counter programming and going after the older audience at a time when releases are geared towards teens. Between this and The Hundred Foot Journey, Helen Mirren has established herself as a draw for audiences who want to see a drama with a light touch and the appearance of quality.

Michael Lynderey: There's no question that Helen Mirren is a draw. While not an absolute guarantee, her name above the title brings out a certain demographic, and we've seen her films perform to above-average numbers almost every time one is given a serious release and decent marketing: The Debt, The Hundred-Foot Journey, and even going back to Calendar Girls. Reviews weren't so great on Woman in Gold, but it's a crowd-pleasing and life-affirming movie that I'm not surprised to see is playing well as counter programming to bigger films.

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