Guess The Box Office - Week 3
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) A House with a Clock in its Walls: $26.6 million
2) A Simple Favor: $10.3 million
3) The Nun: $10 million
Greg’s Predictions:
1) The House with a Clock In Its Walls: $21 Million
2) The Predator: $13 Million
3) A Simple Favor: $10 million
Ken’s Predictions:
1) The House with a Clock in Its Walls: $20 million
2) The Predator: $12 million
3) A Simple Favor: $9 million
Greg: Since I was closer with the Clock movie (I’m not copying and pasting that title anymore) and closer with A Simple Favor, I am the winner of week 2!! Excuse me while I take a mile-long victory lap around the neighborhood…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Ok I’m back and a bit winded. But victory was well worth it. Ken, we both whiffed big time on The Predator, it only finished with $9.2 million, a surprising 62% drop. Can we safely declare this to be the merciful end of the Predator franchise??
Ken: I hope so. I did read that Fox wanted to make a trilogy out of this, but I have to think that this weak performance keeps that from getting off the ground. Really, a 62% drop shouldn’t have been unexpected given the underperforming opening weekend and the tepid reviews.
Greg: There really isn’t anywhere to take the franchise; I know that doesn’t stop Hollywood these days, but let’s hope that’s the last we see of it until they bring back an 80-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger to try and reboot it.
Ken: Anything could be possible with de-aging CGI that is becoming more and more commonplace.
Greg: Let’s get to this weekend, another diverse September weekend at the movies:
1. Night School, starring Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart, about a guy (Hart) trying to get his GED via night classes with a rambunctious teacher (Haddish).
2. Smallfoot, an animated movie about a community of yetis finding a human for the first time (hilarity, I guess, ensues)
3. Hellfest, a slasher movie about a crazed killer on the loose in a haunted theme park.
Ken, what’s your fancy this weekend?
Ken: I will probably not make it to the movie theater this weekend, but if I had to choose one of these movies, give me Hellfest. I’m not sure how “original” a slasher movie can be, but it’s a comfortable formula if done right. However, the credits attached to the director, Gregory Plotkin, doesn’t give me confidence. Plus, I just don’t trust anyone named Gregory, Greg.
Greg: Nor should you! Let’s discuss Night School. I’m very curious how this opens because while I think Kevin Hart is still an opener, as evidenced by his mug being on a whole bunch of billboards this week in Connecticut, this is Tiffany Haddish’s acid test as an opener herself. Can she bring a September release where (I argue) she’s the draw to an opening above $30 million?
Ken: If the reviews are any indication, I wouldn’t expect much from Night School. As I’m writing this, it’s at 18% with 17 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. My impression of Hart is that he needs to be paired with someone to make money and Haddish is popular but still unproven as someone opening movies.
Greg: I will be rooting for this to succeed, because we are very low on comedy openers in 2018. We have Kevin Hart……maybe Will Farrell………………and………Melissa McCarthy? Hollywood needs Tiffany Haddish.
Ken: No love for Jason Bateman (Game Night) or John Cena (Blockers), huh? Duly noted.
Greg: No one goes to see a movie because of Jason Bateman, please. And did you see how Blockers did in the box office? Let’s talk about Smallfoot. Actually do we have to? Can’t we call this movie before we see it? “Oh, the Yetis are just like us, let’s treat everybody fairly and not be scared of anything!!” Ugh. But who am I kidding, I’d take my 4-year-old daughter to see it because it would entertain her, and that’s all that matters.
Ken: Those are important messages for kids to hear. I guess. I think? Not having any, I wouldn’t know. But yes, like you said, we know exactly what this is.
Greg: Pop Quiz, can you name 3 animated wide releases in the last 10 years with less than 60% rotten tomato score?
Ken: *whispers to himself* If I tried longer than 2 minutes I probably could, but I won’t just to help you make your point. *end whisper* No, Greg, I can’t. You can’t do it! I don’t think they exist!!!!
Greg: I could only think of one, https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hop_2011, and therein lies the problem; critics are way too nice on these movies. But that’s for another day. Let’s finish with a movie whose genre has a lot of difficulty getting above 50% rotten tomato score, Hellfest. I have to say, if I was 15 years old, after seeing the trailer, I think I’d be there opening weekend? There’s something to say about a movie with a throwback premise that has the ability to deliver some genuine thrills just by the plot construction.
Ken: First movie I thought about when I saw the trailer for this was last year’s Happy Death Day. That movie was at least a little inventive. But again, this movie has a Greg (Plotkin) problem. He did one of the bad Paranormal Activity movies. Sorry, but I’ve got to see it from a director before I buy in.
Greg: My wife and I made the mistake of seeing Disturbia in the theatre. We were the only ones in a packed theatre above 16. Never ever again. Ok, prediction time. This could be a close weekend, so let’s see who we picked:
1) Night School: $26 Million
2) Smallfoot: $25 Million
3) Clock Movie: $14 million
4) Hellfest; $8 million
Ken: I think this is another down weekend before business starts to pick up in October.
1) Nightschool: $26 million
2) Smallfoot: $22 million
3) Tick Tock Clock Wall Walk: $13 million
4) Hellfest: $6 million
Greg: We are tied 1-1, and make sure you check back next week, as we break down A Star is Born and what is sure to be polarizing Venom. I will tell you now, I’m taking the under on Venom for opening weekend. Check back next weekend to see why.
You can follow Ken Jones on Twitter @KenJones81 and Greg Ehrhardt on Twitter @Grege333. Like and follow OnScreen on Facebook.