Guess the Box Office - Week 2
OnScreen is back for another week of Guess The Box Office!! Greg Ehrhardt and Ken Jones will be recapping last weekend’s box office results, previewing the new releases to come this weekend, and throwing in some predictions while they are at it.
Last week’s results:
1) The Predator: $24.5 million
2) The Nun: $18.2 million
3) A Simple Favor: $16 million
Greg’s Predictions:
1) The Nun: $25 Million
2) The Predator: $22 Million
3) A Simple Favor: $10 million
Ken’s Predictions:
1) The Predator: $28.5 million
2) The Nun: $22 million
3) A Simple Favor: $14 million
Greg: Since Ken got the order correct, and was certainly much closer to revenue totals for A Simple Favor than me, Ken gets the victory for week 1!!
Ken: A Simple Favor definitely performed better than expected, exceeding even my estimates. I thought the drop from The Nun was obvious, to the point that if there had been a Vegas line regarding how much it would drop I would have bet on the 60%+ loss. But a 66% drop is huge.
Greg: It was folly of me to assume a horror movie with a 30% Rotten Tomato score would have even a mediocre hold the following weekend. I just didn’t believe in The Predator, and to that end, I think I was right. An opening weekend below $30 million is a disaster for Fox, Ken.
Ken: I saw it Friday, and, for the most part, it is a disaster. A disaster which you can read more about in my review (https://www.onstageblog.com/onscreen/2018/9/19/onscreen-review-the-predator)
Cue the shameless plug music!
Greg: Anything else surprise you from the weekend?
Ken: It’s been around for a month now, but let’s take a moment to appreciate the staying power of Crazy Rich Asians. It pulled in another $8+ million this weekend and is on the cusp of $150 in revenue. That’s really an impressive accomplishment. On the flip side of that, I can’t believe The Meg has made over $130 million. Do better, people.
Greg: Jason Statham deserves it. Let’s get to this week. We have three wide releases for 9/21:
1. The House with a Clock in its Walls, starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett, this is another Witches and Warlocks family adventure based on a popular kids novel.
2. Fahrenheit 11/9, starring Michael Moore, the latest installment in his political anthology series
3. Life Itself, which chronicles the trials and tribulations of high school sweethearts who get married and start a family.
Ken, it’s another eclectic week at the movies. Which one of these movies is getting the fire roaring in the belly?
Ken: I think the only fire in the belly I’m getting from these movies is heartburn. None of these movies are in my wheelhouse and I will likely not be seeing them.
Greg: Let’s start with The House with a Clock in its Walls (otherwise to be referred to as (THWACITW). Usually questionable movies give away key plot points in its trailers, but I can’t remember a previous movie that gave away its key plot points within its own title?? One thing is for sure: the title doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, so if they can’t even get that right, I’m not sure why I should trust this movie.
Ken: What’s not to trust about uneven horror director Eli Roth making a kid’s movie? I really have no idea what to make of this movie. Eli Roth as director suggests one thing, Jack Black pulls me in another direction, and then Cate Blanchett’s involvement even further complicates things. This movie is pulling my instincts in three different directions. Which one do I trust the most? Cate Blanchett, who doesn’t make total crap.
Greg: At the very least, it’s important to society that Jack Black continue get steady paychecks. Our next movie is Fahrenheit 11/9, another movie with, let’s just say, an uninspired title (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fahrenheit_911).
Ken: Am I allowed to say that I’ve never liked Michael Moore or his movies? If not, too bad, I guess. I think he’s an annoying blowhard with an oversized ego who loves to insert himself into his movies with cheap gimmicks and heavy-handed tactics. I think a lot of liberals overlook the fact that Fahrenheit 9/11 probably backfired and actually helped George W. Bush get a second term.
Greg: I’ll be curious to see reaction to this, because most of his other works at least pretended to be somewhat investigative or uncover some new realities not talked about. This looks to be just a political fundraiser for the November elections, so to speak.
Ken: Anyone looking at my Twitter feed (@KenJones81, another shameless plug!) will know that I am no fan of Trump. But I detest Moore too and think this is a publicity stunt of a doc and Democrats who are looking to take back the House and possibly the Senate in November should hope that this movie doesn’t make much noise at the box office.
Greg: Our last movie is “Life Itself”, which looks to be basically “This is Us: The Movie”. With a 9% rotten tomatoes score as of this writing, is it worth any more words to discuss?
Ken: I just feel for my man, Oscar Isaac.
Greg: Prediction time. I don’t think this weekend will be going into the annals of Box Office lore, so I think THWACITW should lightly jog to victory here.
You can follow Ken Jones on Twitter @KenJones81 and Greg Ehrhardt on Twitter @Grege333
1) The House with a Clock In Its Walls: $21 Million
2) The Predator: $13 Million
3) A Simple Favor: $10 million
And for fun, I’ll say Fahrenheit 11/9 does $7 million
Ken: I think it’s a down weekend due to this unimpressive slate of new releases.
1) The House with a Clock in Its Walls: $20 million
2) The Predator: $12 million
3) A Simple Favor: $9 million
Fahrenheit 11/9: $4 million
Greg: And that’s a wrap! Ken is up 1-0, and I’m already in catchup mode. Check back next week to see how we did and watch us breakdown another week at the movies.