Warner Bros. continues to mine the pockets of Harry Potter fans with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald [FBST2], the second new film set in the expanded Wizardry World of J.K. Rowling. Eddie Redmayne [EREDM] reprise his lead as Newt Scamander, while Jude Law [JLAW] joins the cast as young Dumbledore. Johnny Depp [JDEPP] plays the titled villain, a role that has divided fans. The Crimes of Grindelwald seems unlikely to surpass the $74.4 million debut of the first Fantastic Beasts two years ago, as advance ticket sales are lagging and the sequel is not adapted from any book. Reviews thus far are mixed, which will discourage casual fans. Packing 4163 theaters, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald could pull out $68 million.
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch [HTGSC] will still be the first choice for most families with children. The animated Christmas film could hold 60% of its opening for a $40 million second weekend.
Bohemian Rhapsody [FREDI] continues its strong performance and looks to hold off two new challengers for third place with $18 million.
Mark Wahlberg [MWAHL] and Rose Byrne [RBYRN] star as a couple who want to start an Instant Family [ISFAM] by becoming foster parents in the PG-13 rated comedy. Paramount found success with the Daddy’s Home films, though Instant Family will trend more female. Crowding 3286 theaters, Instant Family could gather $17 million.
Viola Davis [VDAVI] leads a female crew of Widows [WIDOW] on a heist in order to pay off their dead husbands’ debts. The R-rated thriller is directed by Steve McQueen [SMCQU], whose last film, 12 Years A Slave won the Best Picture Oscar. Widows has earned rave reviews, which should bring out its older target audience. Widows may loot $15.5 million from 2803 locations.
The horror film Overlord [OVRLD] will likely drop around 55% from its debut to $4.5 million.
Aviron expands A Private War [APWAR] wide to 865 theaters after two weeks of limited release. The R-rated biopic could capture $2 million.
That’s the whisper on the virtual trading floor.
Tag(s): FBST2, EREDM, JLAW, JDEPP, HTGSC, FREDI, MWAHL, RBYRN, ISFAM, VDAVI, WIDOW, SMCQU, OVRLD, APWAR