Okay, it's time to see which movie studio is going to be on top this weekend (not that I'm a clairvoyant, mind you; nevertheless, I'll give it my best shot). According to the Associated Press, Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE: SNE)'s Vantage Point might end up the big winner, with perhaps as much as $20 million in the bank by the end of the three-day period, this according to Jeffrey Logsdon of BMO Capital Markets. After seeing the very effective ads for this political thriller, I agree that it's going to do at least that well. My instinct tells me that its initial gross will be closer to $25 million, perhaps even $30 million. Sony should have a big hit on its corporate hands.
Jack Black's Be Kind, Rewind, on the other hand, probably won't do so hot, in my opinion. It's being released by Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), and according to Boxofficemojo.com, it will only be in 800 locations. Logsdon ambiguously says it will take in less than $10 million. I say it will take in around $5 million. I hope to see this one in the theaters because it looks like a fun flick; I remember reading about it when it was first proposed, and I liked the idea then as much as I do now after seeing the ads. So I'm hoping this one really surprises. The other one that I want to see is Charlie Bartlett, from MGM. It seems to remind me of one of my very favorite movies, Wes Anderson's Rushmore. It won't have the same idiosyncratic feel of that project, certainly, but I get the feeling it borrows at least some of Rushmore's genetic code. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF) probably won't see much of a revenue bump from Witless Protection, starring Larry the Cable Guy. The marketing campaign didn't grab me. But it will be in over 1300 locations.
I'm most interested in seeing how The Spiderwick Chronicles does; will Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA) see some renewed life in this one, or will it drop precipitously? And then there's The Walt Disney Corporation (NYSE: DIS)'s Step Up 2 the Streets and last weekend's top film, News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Jumper -- how will their second weekends treat them? The multiplex awaits...
Disclosure: I own shares in Disney.