Weekend Box Office Projections: Will Moviegoers Make It Into The Maze?

The third week of September is usually the week that fall movie season begins in earnest and this time around we have three major releases featuring big name talent and/or big time box office potential.  In all probability this weekend will bring five films that gross over $10 million and one over $30 million-a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since (gulp) the weekend of June 13-15!  Yes Virginia, it was a bad summer.

Certain to lead the box office pack is Fox’s “The Maze Runner” which is riding positive social media buzz and an IMAX component and the cache of being the first big film of the fall.  I slotted the film in at #1 with $43 million on Monday morning.  Other sites have this more in the mid to high 30’s but I’ll stick with the $43 mil prediction.  It’s just too hard to argue with that tracking.  

Elsewhere, Liam Neeson’s dark thriller, “A Walk Among The Tombstones”, should easily grab the #2 position and, again, I’ll stick to my Monday guns and my $18 million guess.  I am, however,  backing down Warners’ “This Is Where I Leave You” from $15 million to $13, due to rather lackluster social media noise and acceptable, but not overwhelming reviews.

BOX OFFICE INSIDER PROJECTED WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP 10

1)   THE MAZE RUNNER—FOX—$43 MILLION

2)   A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES—UNIVERSAL—$18 MILLION

3)   THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU—WARNERS—$13 MILLION

4)   NO GOOD DEED—SONY/SCREEN GEMS—$11.6 MILLION—52% DROP

5)   A DOLPHIN TALE 2—WARNERS—$10.7 MILLION—32% DROP

6)   GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY—BUENA VISTA—$4.9 MILLION—39% DROP

7)   LET’S BE COPS—$2.9 MILLION—31% DROP

8)   TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES—PARAMOUNT—$2.8 MILLION—40% DROP

9)   IF I STAY—WARNERS—$2.7 MILLION—31% DROP

10) THE DROP—$2.4 MILLION—42% DROP

BUBBLING UNDER THE TOP 10
TUSK—A24–800+ THEATRES—$2 MILLION?