Weekend Predictions: 'New Year's Eve' and 'The Sitter'

Featured Stories - on December 07, 2011 by Phil Contrino

12911predictions.pngA star-studded ensemble will surely help push New Year's Eve to a #1 debut at the box office this coming weekend.

Director Garry Marshall is capitalizing on a fool-proof formula late in his career: gather tons of stars, pick a holiday, shake up and serve. In 2009, Marshall's Valentine's Day took in a staggering $110.5 million. It'll be tough for New Year's Day to match VDay's haul with all the competition it has to face at this time of the year, but that doesn't mean it won't be successful in its own way.

New Year's Eve is currently outpacing Valentine's Day on Twitter, but it trails its predecessor by a noticeable margin on Facebook. Subscribe to Boxoffice Pro for full Facebook and Twitter tracking.

As of 4 p.m. PT, Fandango reports that New Year's Eve is responsible for a solid 10% of daily sales.

Look for New Year's Eve to rope in a healthy $22.5 million from around 3,300 locations during its debut frame.

The Sitter already seems a bit dated for two reasons: 1) Jonah Hill has lost a lot of weight since it was filmed and 2) Hill is moving in a different direction in his career. Moneyball showed that Hill could hold his own in a drama, and 21 Jump Street will try to turn him into something of an action star. If it wasn't so coarse, The Sitter could rope in family audiences. As it stands, the R-rated comedy will have to settle for the same lackluster crowds that showed up for the likes of 30 Minutes or Less, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Your Highness.

Fandango reports that The Sitter has yet to crack the top five sellers list.

The Sitter looks poised to take in $13 million from around 2,500 locations during its opening weekend.

Check out the rest of our top 10 predictions in the table below.

 

Title Release Date Distributor Opening Weekend Cumulative
New Year's Eve Dec 9, 2011 Warner Bros. / New Line
 $22,500,000 $22,500,000
The Sitter Dec 9, 2011 Fox
 $13,000,000 $13,000,000
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Nov 18, 2011 Summit
 $8,500,000 $260,200,000
The Muppets Nov 23, 2011 Disney
 $7,300,000 $66,100,000
Hugo Nov 23, 2011 Paramount
 $6,500,000 $34,000,000
Arthur Christmas Nov 23, 2011 Sony / Columbia
 $6,300,000 $33,200,000
The Descendants Nov 16, 2011 Fox Searchlight
 $5,000,000 $24,300,000
Happy Feet Two Nov 18, 2011 Warner Bros.
 $4,000,000 $57,100,000
Jack and Jill Nov 11, 2011 Sony / Columbia
 $3,500,000 $68,900,000
Immortals Nov 11, 2011 Relativity Media
 $2,500,000 $79,900,000

Additional reporting by Daniel Garris and Alex Edghill.

 

 

Tags: New Year's Eve, The Sitter

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