‘Anchorman 2’ to have a classy weekend

The man who managed to make the trinity of obnoxiousness – misogyny, dimwittedness and frustratingly perfect hair – hilariously lovable in 2004 is back for another crassly classy good time. Will Ferrell has reprised his role as ‘70’s newsman Ron Burgundy for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, which opened wide in 3,450 locations on Wednesday.

Ferrell and director Adam McKay’s first Anchorman was by no means a box-office success, earning roughly $85 million domestically and failing to generate any international business to speak of. The film only found a dedicated audience once it was released on DVD, quickly becoming the kind of cult favorite many a high-schooler spent his, and her, lunch period quoting.

Hollywood, however, was a little slow to catch up. Anchorman may have found new life post-theatrical release, but given its tepid b.o. performance, studio execs at Paramount were initially hesitant to green-light a sequel. The fact that several of the film’s stars have become more popular over the last decade – most notably Steve Carell, who helmed his own cult hit, TV series “The Office – probably played a large role in overcoming the kind of bottom-line hesitancy that kept Anchorman 2 in limbo for years. Not that Paramount, once committed, minded waging an expensive marketing campaign on the movie’s behalf. Have all those Dodge Durango commercials piqued viewers’ interest? The weekend before Christmas is notoriously tough for new releases, but Anchorman 2 is still expected to earn between $40 and $50 million for the five-day spread.

Actually, so is The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Few pundits have been able to discuss Smaug without mentioning its inability to generate the same kind of boffo revenue as its predecessor, last year’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (even though Smaug has earned superior reviews). Yet Peter Jackson’s second Lord of the Rings prequel is still drawing sizable crowds. It wouldn’t be a Christmas miracle if Smaug managed to out-gross Anchorman 2 this weekend.

CG-animated kids’ film Walking with Dinosaurs will likely land at the bottom of the weekend’s list of top earners. Frozen continues to pose fierce competition, and will probably keep Dinosaurs from grossing more than $10 or $12 million.

Specialty enthusiasts who do not live in either New York or LA (a tough position for a specialty enthusiast) will be treated to Christmas-come-early today. Both American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks are expanding, to 2,500 and 2,200 locations, respectively. David O. Russell’s Oscar favorite had the fourth-best per-theatre average when it opened in limited release last weekend. Given the loud buzz surrounding the flick, it should earn upwards of $15 million.

Last but by no means the least interesting, Spike Jonze’s Her, about a man who falls in love with a computer operating system (not as crazy as it sounds, considering the computer’s voice belongs to Scarlett Johansson), also bows in six locations today. The film is on track to expand wide on January 10^th.   

'Hangover' lasts through weekend, 'Land' lost

By Sarah Sluis

In this week's battle of the comedies, a low-budget, almost gonzo-shot movie won out over a CGI extravaganza. The Hangover earned $43.2 million this weekend, while Land of the Lost came in below expectations, to the tune of $19.5 million I'm hardly surprised.

Having seen (and liked) both of the comedies, I can see why The Hangover won out: it's a raunchy 'R' with shock comedy that's built up like horror. Its stars have unknown brands of humor, they're older, and the film has an inventive plot structure and premise. Funny thing is, these are all qualities that should count against the film: an 'R' should slice out younger viewers, the older stars should alienate teens and twentysomethings, women should be turned off by the bachelor party antics, and haven't we seen some Vegas films before? Land of the Lost, on the other hand, is a spin-off from a proven (if dated) television show, and stars Will Ferrell, two points that should have driven, not dampened interest. Ultimately, The Hangover came off as fresh, while Land of the Lost seemed like more of the same.

I'm curious how The Hangover will play in weeks to come. Its shock moments definitely inspire the "Dude, you've got to see this!" that makes for a word-of-mouth hit. With minimal drop-off within the weekend, it appears that the film could be on a weeks-long ride to a jackpot.

Dropping just 35%, Up edged out The Hangover to earn $44.2 million. Including weekday grosses, it's already earned $137.3 million, and I expect it will cross over to $200 million within another couple of weeks, joining Star Trek in the summer movie blockbuster club.

My Life in Ruins came in at #9 this weekend, earning $3.2 million. Its per-screen average isn't stellar by summer movie standards, just $2,700, so unless it manages to drop minimally, this will be its first and last week in the top ten. Despite so-so reviews, Away We Go brought in an astounding $35,000 per screen in its four-screen release. With plans for expansion the next couple of weeks, the film could end up doing much better than the reviews forecasted.

Next week, kid-fantasy picture Imagine That opens, along with the Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Both have comparable offerings in the top ten: Imagine That overlaps with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Up. Pelham shares audiences with action-thrillers like Angels & Demons, Star Trek, and Terminator Salvation, a stark contrast from this weekend, in which the two comedies had a wide-open field.