Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” to Derail “Orient Express,” “Daddy’s Home 2”
0
Disney/Marvel
 |
Thor: Ragnarok (Disney) |
$60.4M |
-51% |
 |
Daddy’s Home (Paramount) |
$24.6M |
New |
 |
Murder on the Orient Express (Fox) |
$18.9M |
New |
 |
A Bad Moms Christmas (STX) |
$10.3M |
-45% |
 |
Jigsaw (Lionsgate) |
$2.4M |
-58% |
The only interesting thing to me about this weekend’s box office race is which film will take second place — Daddy’s Home 2 or Murder on the Orient Express. The trades have suggested that both films are slated to open around $25 million, but I’m not so sure. Murder on the Orient Express has half the stars in the galaxy, but it’s still an old-fashioned murder mystery with mediocre reviews, and I’m expecting it to underperform. Meanwhile, the combination of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg has proven to be a formula for success between the first Daddy’s Home ($38 million opening) and The Other Guys, so Mel Gibson be damned, I think this sequel is going to perform right in line with expectations… though I’m surprised at how expensive it was at a rumored $75 million before P&A. Daddy’s Home 2 is also opening on 225 more screens than Orient Express, so it has a little bit of an edge there.
Either way, Daddy’s Home 2 and Murder on the Orient Express will be also-rans this weekend, as Thor: Ragnarok will easily win the weekend with somewhere in the vicinity of $60 million. That would represent a drop of around 50 percent, which is pretty much how these things go. Any self-respecting MCU fan has likely already seen Ragnarok, but there will be plenty of people playing catch-up before Justice League arrives next weekend, and DC seizes control of the box office.
On the specialty side, Fox Searchlight opens Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri on four screens, and it could very well end up challenging Lady Bird for this year’s per-screen average crown. It won the major Audience Award in Toronto, and the Oscar buzz swirling around this one is legit, especially for star Frances McDormand and the film’s crackling original screenplay.
Elsewhere, The Orchard is releasing Joachim Trier’s supernatural drama Thelma (which most critics have really liked, but wasn’t my cup of tea), and Gravitas Ventures unveils Amanda & Jack Go Glamping starring David Arquette and Amy Acker.
As for fifth place, look for Lionsgate’s Jigsaw and Boo 2! A Madea Halloween to battle it out with Geostorm, which has grossed less than $30 million as of this writing despite its $120 million budget. Be sure to come back on Monday to see how our projections played out.
Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief
