Friday Box Office Analysis
By Tim Briody
January 6, 2007
Freedom Writers
The Hillary Swank-led Dangerous Minds knockoff is the best of the sorry lot of openers this week, earning an estimated $3.4 million. That's actually not terrible, considering it basically got a token release in just 1,360 theaters. It's going to have an admirable weekend, though it will lag badly behind Night at the Museum and The Pursuit of Happyness. Look for a weekend of $9.8 million.
Happy N'ever After
The now annual January animated release (thanks, Hoodwinked) earned $2.1 million on Friday, but all is not lost. The aformentioned Hoodwinked started out with $2.6 million and finished the weekend with an acceptible $12.4 million. That's a fantastic 4.65 weekend multiplier, but I don't expect the same here. First, Night at the Museum is still ruling the box office and easily the number one choice for familes. Second, Hoodwinked came a year ago on the following weekend, the Martin Luther King Day long weekend, thus inflating its Sunday somewhat. I still expect a very good multiplier for Happily N'ever After, somewhere in the realm of 3.8, which would give it around $8 million for the weekend.
Code Name: The Cleaner
The atrocious Cedric the Entertainer comedy barely makes the top ten on Friday with a piddling $1.4 million. Figure around $3.7 million and assume that it will never be mentioned by anyone involved again.
Night at the Museum
The Ben Stiller smash starts 2007 exactly where it ended 2006, though the numbers are a little smaller. It's going to remain a top the box office for a third weekend pretty easily, as it starts to sneak up on the $200 million mark (it's going to be over $150 million by the time you read this). Look for a weekend total of around $24 million.
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Projected Estimates for the Top Ten (Three-Day)
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Projected
Rank |
Film |
Estimated Gross |
|
1
|
Night at the Museum
|
24.2
|
|
2
|
The Pursuit of Happyness
|
12.8
|
|
3
|
Freedom Writers
|
9.8
|
|
4
|
Dreamgirls
|
8.1
|
|
5
|
Happily N'ever After
|
7.9
|
|
6
|
The Good Shepherd
|
6.6
|
|
7
|
Rocky Balboa
|
5.7
|
|
8
|
Charlotte's Web
|
6.0
|
|
9
|
We Are Marshall
|
5.2
|
|
10
|
Code Name: The Cleaner
|
3.7
|
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