The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always Hollywood’s most lucrative, but the weekend leading up to it is a mess for prognosticators. This year, eight different flicks opened over five days, which muddied comparisons and made it tough to tell which gained a foothold and which slipped. Only a few things are sure …
Lion trumps monkey
The weekend may have gone to “King Kong,” but the long-term winner is “The Chronicles of Narnia,” which nearly slipped back to No. 1 despite being a week older. “Kong” has the lead worldwide, but Hollywood’s about expectations: “Narnia’s” beating predictions; “Kong’s” getting beaten up.
Nothing new of note opens this weekend, so the Swami sez: The “Narnia” lion will finally knock “King Kong” off his perch.
No new superpowers
Many newcomers could claim positives: “Fun with Dick and Jane” topped the newbies but trailed Jim Carrey’s biggest. “Munich” had strong numbers in limited release but not as strong as the usual Spielberg epic. “Cheaper by the Dozen 2” opened OK but performed pretty much like a copy of a copy.
Bomb squad
Another copy of a copy, “The Producers,” couldn’t sing and dance its way into the top 10. It’s too early to be declared dead, but after the “Rent” demise, the movie musical appears to be on life support once again.
Not that Heath
Heath Ledger’s hot, but as a quiet gay cowboy, not as a loudmouth Lothario. Swami sez: “Casanova” may pop into the top 20, but it won’t eclipse “Brokeback Mountain” or hit the magic $10,000-per-theater mark.
Top 2005 moneymakers*
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Rk Movie Total
1. “Star Wars: Episode III $380M
–Revenge of the Sith”
2. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” $265M
3. “War of the Worlds” $234M
4. “Wedding Crashers” $209M
5. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” $206M
6. “Batman Begins” $205M
7. “Madagascar” $193M
8. “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” $186M
9. “Hitch” $179M
10. “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, $174M
the Witch and the Wardrobe”
[* as of Thursday; source: boxofficemojo.com]%%
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