Box: All Aboard the Chastain Train

1. Zero Dark Thirty - $20m / $25m / $100m
2. Gangster Squad - $17m / $17m / $50m
3. A Haunted House - $16m / $16m / $38m
4. Django Unchained - $12m / $125m / $165m
5. The Hobbit - $9.5m / $278m / $310m
6. Les Miserables - $9m / $117m / $155m
7. Texas Chainsaw 3D - $8.5m / $34m / $48m
8. Parental Guidance - $7.5m / $62m / $90m
9. Lincoln - $5m / $150.5m / $175m
10. Jack Reacher - $5m / $72m / $86m
**This Is 40 - $4.5m / $61m / $75m
**Silver Linings Playbook - $4m / $39.5m / $80m

I'm doing these today because of all the posts I'll have to make over the next two days.

A trio of openers will unseat the the residing box-office champions.  Zero Dark Thirty has had huge PTAs the past several weeks, and while recent performers haven't been able to translate that into major success, this one should.  It's following Black Hawk Down's release strategy to a T, and should be able to match that film's gross of just over the century mark.  Gangster Squad, after a 4 month delay, arrives with one of the most aggressive ad campaigns.  I don't recall there being a movie I've seen in the past several months that didn't have the trailer played in front of it.  A Haunted House looks awful, but when has that stopped a movie from acheiving any level of success.  I even will admit to liking spoofs, but the trailer produced no laughs.  Scary Movie 5 isn't looking too much better, and that film will likely be aided by a PG-13 rating.  That aside, all three films could breakout and go 20m+ for the weekend. 

I give Zero the edge because of Oscar nominations on Thursday morning.  Django and Les Miserables probably won't experience as soft of drops as expected nominee leader Lincoln.  Silver Linings Playbook has been performing steadily, not losing any of its PTA despite an expansion over Christmas.  Weinstein Company is saving the film's big expansion for next weekend, smart given the holiday weekend and it should capitalize on a Globe win or two. 

With Zero Dark Thirty this weekend and Mama next weekend, will Jessica Chastain have back to back #1's?  Her time has come. 

Current Box-Office Grosses for Major Oscar Contenders:
(as of Monday)
Skyfall - $297m
Lincoln - $145m
Argo - $110m
Django Unchained - $108m
Les Miserables - $105m
Flight - $93m
Life of Pi - $91m
Silver Linings Playbook - $35m
Perks of Being a Wallflower - $17.5m
The Master - $16m
The Sessions - $5.5m
Hitchcock - $5.5m
Zero Dark Thirty - $4.5m
The Impossible - $3.5m
Rust and Bone - $.9m
Amour - $.3m

Movies That Have Finished Their Run:
Magic Mike - $114m
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - $46.4m
Moonrise Kingdom - $45.5m
Beasts of the Southern Wild - $11.2m
The Deep Blue Sea - $1.1m
The Paperboy - $.7m
Compliance - $.3m