Box Office Talk: October 26

Last weekend’s two new releases did surprisingly terrible at the box office. Unfortunately, the four new films being released this weekend don’t provide much hope for recovery from last weekend.

Cloud Atlas the dramatic sci-fi film from the Wachowski siblings has the most potential, but as beautiful as the picture looks on the screen it looks equally as confusing. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, and Jim Broadbent are just a few cast in the star-studded film. Sadly, I think far too many people are going to skip the film because they don’t think they’ll understand it.

Silent Hill: Revelation is a film that feels like it’s about 3 or 4 years too late. The first Silent Hill had an impressive $20+ million opening in 2006, but so much time has passed and there are so many other options available that it’s unlikely to repeat that success.

A film that could surprise many this weekend is the teenage Halloween film Fun Size. Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice and Chelsea Handler are the film’s biggest stars, means that the film is going to have to hope that young teenagers just want to see the movie. I think families are tired of animation and high-octane action films like The Avengers and may be open to just an entertaining family movie.

Finally, we have the inspirational story of surfing legend Jay Moriarty in Chasing Mavericks. Last year saw Soul Surfer opened with over $10 million, and although a surfing movie as well, it also gave the inspiration story of a young girl that lost her armed to a shark attack. In Chasing Mavericks the inspiration comes from the choice young Jay (Jonny Weston) makes to take on the humongous wave, whereas in Soul Surfer the inspiration comes from overcoming an incredible injury. I think there’s a huge difference between the two, and Chasing Mavericks just doesn't have the same appeal.

Here’s how I foresee the Top 10 faring:

Box Office Predictions

RANK	TITLE	JOE'S PREDICTION
1	Cloud Atlas	$17,000,000
2	Argo	$12,700,000
3	Silent Hill: Revelation	$11,000,000
4	Paranormal Activity 4	$11,000,000
5	Fun Size	$11,000,000
6	Hotel Transylvania	$9,400,000
7	Taken 2	$7,300,000
8	Sinister	$5,500,000
9	Here Comes the Boom	$5,500,000
10	Alex Cross	$5,100,000
Additional New Releases
	Chasing Mavericks	> $4,000,000