Capitalizing on the day’s Academy Awards announcement, the thriller Zero Dark Thirty [ZDTHR] expands into wide release with 5 Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actress for Jessica Chastain [JCHAS]. Director Kathryn Bigelow [KBIGE] was snubbed however, perhaps due to her already winning an Oscar for her last film The Hurt Locker. Zero Dark Thirty focuses on the decade-long search for Osama Bin Laden by the CIA. The R-rated film has earned rave reviews, which help the film score $3 million in 3 weeks of very limited release with by far the highest per theater average. Although the cast lacks starpower with box office draw, the raid on the Bin Laden compound by Seal Team Six is well-known to the American public. Interest should be high amongst both the mainstream audience as well as the arthouse crowd. Zero Dark Thirty could net $23 million from 2937 locations.
Warner Bros. finally unveils the 1940s set Gangster Squad [TFGSQ] about LAPD battling mobsters from the East Coast. The original September release date was pushed back in order to reshoot a shootout that was too close to the real-life theater massacre in Aurora, Colorado. The R-rated film boats an impressive cast led by Ryan Gosling [RGOSL], Josh Brolin [JBROL], Sean Penn [SPENN] and Emma Stone [ESTON]. Marketing has played up the popcorn action, which should attract men as well as young guys who would otherwise not be interested in a period crime drama. Opening in 3103 theaters, Gangster Squad may lock up $19 million.
Marlon Wayans [MWAYA] breaks away from the Scary Movie series for his own horror spoof A Haunted House [AHAUH]. The R-rated film pokes fun at the popular found footage sub-genre. Showing in 2160 theaters, A Haunted House could possess $14 million
Riding into its third weekend with 5 Oscar nomination, Django Unchained [DJANG] could bring in $12 million. With 8 Oscar nominations, Les Miserables [LESMS] could belt out another $9 million.
After an opening weekend victory, Texas Chainsaw 3D [TXCM3] looks to drop close to the typical 60% for a horror film to around $8.5 million.
That’s the whisper from the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): ZDTHR, JCHAS, KBIGE, TFGSQ, RGOSL, JBROL, SPENN, ESTON, MWAYA, AHAUH, DJANG, LESMS, TXCM3