Friday, November 14, 2014

Box Office On Track for a 'Dumb' Weekend

As much as it pains me to type this, it's looking like the Farrelly Brothers' Dumb and Dumber To is going to come out on top of the box office this weekend. There is a chance, though, that one or both of last weekend's two highest-grossing films--Big Hero 6 and Interstellar--could beat it. Let's hope something does--that 27% Rotten Tomatoes rating isn't promising.

Also out in wide release is showbiz romantic drama Beyond the Lights, starring Nate Parker and Belle's Gugu Mbatha-Raw, while Birdman and Whiplash are both expanding after several solid weeks in limited release.

In the specialty arena, moviegoers will have some options. Jon Stewart's directorial debut Rosewater, about a journalist held in solitary confinement in Iran, is opening on 371 screens; in general, reviews have been on the positive edge of mixed ("I liked it, but...," "It was well-done, but..."). Reviews have been more enthused about Foxcatcher, based on the true story of a wrestler (Channing Tatum) taken under the wing of an eccentric billionaire (an unexpectedly disturbing Steve Carell, who's been getting a lot of awards buzz). You can read our interview with director Bennett Miller here. Anticipation for this one is high, and it's only opening in six theaters, so expect a per-theater average of $50,000 or higher. Not likely to do as well is Tommy Lee Jones' The Homesman, opening at four locations in New York and Los Angeles.

There are a smattering of other limited releases, though nothing that's likely to get too much traction. Movies to keep an eye on are 1980s-set coming-of-age drama The Toy Soldiers, which our reviewer was positively rapturous over; Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas, which could get decent numbers courtesy of the moviegoers who made Cameron's Christian-themed Fireproof a success; and A Merry Friggin' Christmas, notable for being one of Robin Williams' last film performances, though not for much else.

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