It’s always a grudge match at the box office. But the opening-weekend competition among certain titles this fall is sizing up to be downright cutthroat. Here are seven of the biggest showdowns by year’s end.
Opening Weekend: Sept. 16
Two sequels and a biopic. Based off past installment performances, Lionsgate’s “Blair Witch” should easily beat Universal’s “Bridget Jones’s Baby.” Throw in Open Road’s “Snowden,” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and directed by Oliver Stone, and “Witch” might get some stiffer competition.
Opening Weekend: Sept. 23
“The Magnificent Seven” and “Storks” are catered to audiences that are nearly diametrically opposed: adults and teens vs. families with young’uns. But when it comes to box office grosses, MGM-Columbia’s Western reboot starring Chris Pratt, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and more is steeped in heated competition with Warner Bros.’ animated comedy featuring the voices of Andy Samberg, Jennifer Aniston and Ty Burrell.
Opening Weekend: Sept. 30
Summit Entertainment’s historical drama “Deepwater Horizon,” starring Mark Wahlberg, will go up against Tim Burton‘s fantasy-book adaptation “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” from 20th Century Fox. Both appeal to wide audiences — albeit relatively separate demographics.
Opening Weekend: Oct. 21
Since all three of these wide releases are sequels, we can pick a winner based on their respective debut grosses on past opening performance, the winner is (drum roll): “Boo!: A Madea Halloween.” But don’t count out “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” with Tom Cruise.
Opening Weekend: Nov. 4
The lowest-grossing openings for Disney-Marvel movies have so far been between $56 million and $58 million. Assuming “Doctor Strange,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, exceeds both “Big Hero 6” and “Ant-Man,” DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls” may face an uphill battle for box office supremacy. Still, it looks like it’s sizing up to be a tight race.
Opening Weekend: Nov. 23
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, historical drama “Allied” could be the adult pick during a weekend with a kid-geared flick, Disney’s animated “Moana.” Also “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be playing in its second weekend and could blow both openers out of contention for first place.
Opening Weekend: Dec. 21
There’s something for everyone this weekend: “Assassin’s Creed,” a video-game-based fantasy film; space romance “Passengers,” featuring superstars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, and the animated comedy “Sing.” All three should perform, but second-weekend holdover “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” could cast a big shadow over all three.
