Weekend box-office preview: Sugar and spice and everything nice?

By Scott Rosenberg Dec 22, 2006, 9:53 GMT

The mid-west of the USA is snowed in, London is fogged over and the temperature as well as the stock market have taken a big dip in Bangkok.

BUT, it is Christmas – a time of year for family, friends, shopping, shopping and more shopping, football games and more football games and Hollywood’s last chance to fill its coffers for the year.

While the kids are unwrapping gifts Monday morning, pundits will be mulling the box-office figures from this weekends openings. 

Who will lead the pack?

First there is the aging Sylvester Stallone in the $24 million pic ‘Rocky Balboa’. Opening at 3,079 locations in the USA, it s first day take alone on Wednesday was $6.2 million.  Looks like MGM may have a knockout here – appealing to the male demographic as well as females over 25 that may remember Stallone in his prime.

At considerably more locations (3,685 theaters) is Warner Bros.’ ‘Night at the Museum’, a Ben Stiller laffer with a stellar cast.  Not surprisingly, the museum that comes “alive” is doing well with teen audiences. Pundits are saying the pic has a surprisingly strong female teen appeal (could it be the sexy Dick Van Dyke and/or Mickey Rooney?)

Clint Eastwood’s ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’, which has been packing them in – in Japan – racked in $13.3 million in its first 11 days there but Wednesday only opened in 5 theaters states side taking in $20,522.

Warner’s tear jerker football pic, ‘We Are Marshall’ opened in 2,606 locations. Matthew McConaughey, one of the sexiest men in the world does not seem to be drawing either male or female crowds to this movie, about a football coach who tries to pull his squad together after tragedy strikes.

For those that don’t like comedies, boxing movies or inspirational films, there is always the spy movie – Robert DeNiro’s ‘The Good Shepherd’ opened at 2,218 locations. Starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert DeNiro, the movie about the beginning of the CIA, with what some say is an Oscar ® winning performance by Matt Damon is going to be a strong contender for the number one spot.

And while most families will be eating turkey and ham Christmas Day,  the film adaptation of the Broadway musical ‘Dreamgirls’ will open at 82 locations nationwide. Already creating critical acclaim, early box-office will help Paramount and DreamWorks decide how wide to expand the movie’s release.
Still in the running Christmas weekend are ‘Happy Feet’, ‘Eragon’ and ‘Charlotte’s Web’ all for which attendance is not predicted to drop off that greatly.

On the art house side, Miramax's "Venus," Warner Independent's "The Painted Veil," IFC's "No Restraint" and Sony Classics' "Curse of the Golden Flower,” will all have limited releases.