Notable Openings This Weekend: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Boo! A Madea Halloween, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Ouija: Origin of Evil
You know those NFL teams that bring in 3-4 QB’s for an intense, open competition. In reality though, the more QB’s you have it actually means you have none. That’s what this weekend feels like. A bunch of mediocre films that will do fine, but we’ll be kicking them to the curb come Monday morning. I shouldn’t say that. I am legitimately excited about Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. In a cluster bleep of a weekend, that seems to be the favorite to take top spot. We also have a decent hold over in The Accountant. All these movies should do fine with the exception of one that will completely and utterly tank. We’ll save that for last.
Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise. There isn’t much to analyze. While the first movie didn’t explode, it did very well. It also opened in late December. They’ve wisely moved it to a quiet weekend, so it should inch past its predecessor’s $15+ Million opening. Word of mouth carried the first film well, much like a lot of Tom Cruise movies. I’ve certainly been pushing Jack Reacher onto people. Seriously, get out and watch the film! For crying out loud. This sequel isn’t doing great in the review department, but I have no doubt it will be a solid, fun romp. It’s impossible to dislike a Tom Cruise movie. If he’s there, you’re guaranteed to at least be entertained.
Here’s a little peek behind the curtain. I never experienced the glory that is Madea until recently. I originally planned to write a Madea article based on her gluttony of films, but it never materialized. My apologies to the readers. I’ll just say this about Tyler Perry and his Madea creation – it was an interesting film watching experience. We’ll leave it at that. There’s not much to say here. It will make its Madea money. The next one will probably be called God Bless Americ-er! A Madea Fourth of July. For those who have seen Madea, you’ll get that joke.
Ouija: Origin of Evil. It’s a horror movie. It will make money. The end.
Now we get to the stink factory. I don’t care that the poster spouts four recognizable names (Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher). This movie is going to tank tank tank. Flop-a-rama. This will do worse than Masterminds. If there’s one thing I can credit audiences on this year, it’s the all out rejection of terrible looking comedies. I’ve been on my comedy diatribe many times. They aren’t what they used to be. That’s a discussion for another day. This looks utterly atrocious and the box office will reflect that. I’d also like to offer some advice to Jon Hamm. Pick better movies, or go do a Netflix series. Seriously, look at Jon Hamm’s IMDB for film. Aside form Bridesmaids and The Town (both over five years ago), it’s yikes-ville.
HOW WILL IT ALL BREAK DOWN…
Tom Cruise breezes to his 800th #1 box office finish. Aside from Keeping Up with the Joneses, which has no shot at a top five finish, all the newbies should do fairly well. At this point, we’ve reached a calm before the storm until Doctor Strange and Fantastic Beasts arrive.
1. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back – $21 Million
2. Ouija: Origin of Evil – $18 Million
3. Boo! A Madea Halloween – $16 Million
4. The Accountant – $15 Million
5. The Girl on the Train – $7.5 Million
