The 2017 calendar year has gotten off to an interesting start at the box office, with the inspirational dramaHidden Figurespulling off surprise wins over the past two weekends, whileLa La Landcontinues to expand and climb up the charts after its impressive sweep at the Golden Globes. This weekend, four new releases will hit theaters, Paramount’sXXX 3: The Return of Xander Cage, Universal’sSplit, The Weinstein Company’sThe Founderand High Top Releasing’sThe Resurrection of Gavin Stone, with A24’s20th Century Womenalso expanding nationwide. When all the dust is settled, we’re predicting thatXXX: The Return of Xander Cagewill come out on top at the box office.
Box Office Mojoreports that, while those aforementioned films will all be released wide, there will be quite the large discrepancy between their theater counts. BothXXX 3andSplitare expected to open in roughly 3,000 theaters apiece, whileThe Founderis expected to open in 1,100 theaters andThe Resurrection of Gavin Stonein 1,000 theaters.The Founderhad a one-week awards-qualifying run in Los Angeles in early December, before its nationwide debut this weekend. No theater estimates were given for20th Century Womenat this time. We’re estimating thatXXX: The Return of Xander Cageshould be able to pull off a modest box office victory with $25.2 million, which falls between the debuts of its first two predecessors.
The firstXXXmovie debuted in 2002, just after the success ofVin Diesel’s firstFast & Furiousmovie in 2001, earning an impressive $44.5 million opening weekend en route to $142.1 million domestic and $277.4 million worldwide, from a $70 million budget. The sequel, which featuredIce CubereplacingVin Diesel’sXander Cageas a new secret agent named Darius Stone, didn’t fare so well, opening in 2005 with $12.7 million, en route to $26.8 million domestic and $71 million worldwide, from an unspecified budget. No budget figures have been released forXXX: The Return of Xander Cage, and it doesn’t have enough reviews for a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score yet. We’re predicting that the top 5 will be rounded out bySplit($21.6 million),Hidden Figures($18.6 million),La La Land($16.2 million) andSing($10.2 million).
The third explosive chapter of the blockbuster franchise that redefined the spy thriller finds extreme athlete turned government operativeXander Cage(Vin Diesel) coming out of self-imposed exile and on a collision course with deadly alpha warrior Xiang and his team in a race to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora’s Box. Recruiting an all-new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of world governments. Packed with the series' signature deadpan wit and bad-ass attitude,XXX: The Return of Xander Cagewill raise the bar on extreme action with some of the most mind-blowing stunts to ever be caught on film.
Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him-as well as everyone around him-as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.James McAvoystars as the 23 separate personalities of Kevin, withAnya Taylor Joy,Hayley Lu RichardsonandJessica Sulastarring as the three abducted girls andBetty Buckleyas Dr. Fletcher.M. Night Shyamalandirects from his own script, withJason Blumproducing. The movie is already an early hit with critics with an impressive 80% RT score.
The Founder, directed byJohn Lee Hancock(The Blind Side,Saving Mr. Banks), features the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. WriterRobert Siegel(The Wrestler) details how Kroc maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire. The film also starsLaura Dernas Ray Kroc’s first wife Ethel;Linda Cardellinias his second wife Joan Smith;John Carroll Lynchas Mac McDonald andNick Offermanas Dick McDonald.
The Resurrection of Gavin Stonefollows the title character (Brett Dalton), a washed-up former child star, is forced to do community service at a local megachurch and pretends to be Christian so he can land the part of Jesus in their annual Passion Play, only to discover that the most important role of his life is far from Hollywood. The supporting cast includesEmily Eruraviel,Neil Flynn,Anjelah Johnson-Reyes,Christopher Maleki,Matthew Talford,Shawn MichaelsandD.B. Sweeney.
The top 10 will be rounded out byRogue One: A Star Wars Story($7.8 million),The Bye Bye Man($6.1 million),The Founder($6 million),Patriots Day($5.9 million) andMonster Trucks($5 million). Also opening in limited release next weekend is Magnolia’sDetour, Rialto’sPanique, Sony Pictures Classics’The Red Turtle, Strand’sStaying Verticaland FilmRise’sThe Sunshine Makers. It isn’t clear if any of these movies in limited release will be expanding in the weeks to come.
Looking ahead to the final weekend of January, three new movies will debut in wide release. Sony Pictures will close out theirResident Evilfranchise withResident Evil: The Final Chapter, starringMilla Jovovich, alongside Universal’s dramatic comedyA Dog’s PurposestarringDennis Quaidand The Weinstein Company’s dramaGoldstarringMatthew McConaughey. Also opening in limited release is Orion Pictures’Get the Girl, China Lion’sBuddies in India, Indican’sMassacre on Aisle 12, Cohen Media Group’sThe Salesmanand Pantelion’sUn Padre No Tan Padre. Take a look at our projected top 10 for the weekend of January 20.
