Weekend Estimates: Hansel & Gretel Best of Weak Opening Bunch
January 27, 2013
January will go out like a lamb at the box office, with three new releases failing to catch on with moviegoers this weekend and not much action among the holdovers. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters will win the weekend more-or-less by default, with a modest $19 million bow from 3,372 theaters. That spells financial disaster for a film that reportedly cost $50 million to make. FilmDistrict's $30 million-budgeted Parker will have a similarly tough time recouping its investment, although lower marketing costs will help. It starts out with $7 million and a per theater average of $3,147. Even more disappointing is Movie 43, which is set to open with $5 million, although its $6 million budget and likely long shelf life on video will avert catastrophe.
Among returning films, Silver Linings Playbook stands out again, holding on to 3rd place and down just 7% for week. The next-best performer is fellow Oscar-nominee Argo, which will be down about 19%. The Impossible is down 20% and continues a good niche run. Life of Pi will be down 21%. Amour, meanwhile, added another 28 theaters this weekend and will have its best weekend at the box office so far, pegged at about $480,000 from 64 theaters.
The standout limited release of the weekend (and actually the only one to report numbers so far) is John Dies at the End. The black comedy, starring Paul Giamatti will post about $14,000 in a single theater.
Bruce Nash bruce.nash@the-numbers.com
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Life of Pi, The Impossible, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Parker, Argo, Movie 43, Silver Linings Playbook, Amour, John Dies at the End, Paul Giamatti