Sensei. Sensei. Last week he predicted a “Twilight” win while the vast majority of other prediction sites picked “The Muppets.” We jokingly refer to this as “Sensei clearing the field,” and he’s had more than his fair share of those experiences. This week, it seems “New Year’s Eve” is in a race to cram as many actors possible into a single film while “The Sitter” tests Jonah Hill’s box office potential.
This weekend’s predictions and revenue results go as follows:
1. New Year’s Eve ($24 million) – The sub-par frame will hold it back from a “Valentine’s Day”-like opening, but it will still conquer the weekend easily. The biggest boost will come from those seeking glimpses of Sofia Vergara.
2. The Sitter ($10.5 million) – Jonah Hill’s films benefit greatly when he’s surrounded by other stars and not when he’s on his own. He’s basically on an island here as the lead. Most family audiences will hold off this one to wait for next week’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
3. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part One ($8.4 million) – This prediction has it on a better box office pace than “Twilight: New Moon” was at this point. The franchise is alive and well.
4. Hugo ($6.8 million) – The film continues to be very strong in its limited release with positive word of mouth. This creates a chance to leap “The Muppets” and continue a slow but effective road to respectable box office numbers.
5. The Muppets ($6.2 million) – The film is neck deep in controversy, and a 62 percent drop last week doesn’t raise much confidence. Already, reports are surfacing that the numbers are not strong enough to ensure a sequel. “Muppets” could very well lose this spot to “The Descendants” if not careful.
That’s how the weekend shapes up for Sensei, but what say you?