Here is the projected Top 10:
#1: Underworld: Awakening
Following three years after Rise of the Lycans, the famous horror franchise hopes to resurge with its' first 3D entry. The Underworld series still has a fanbase, and star Kate Beckinsdale was in last weekends' hit Contraband, but she hasn't really proven herself as a box office draw yet. Lycans debuted to $21 million over its' first weekend, on its' way to $52 million domestic. The franchise is very much like the Resident Evil movies, which successfully rebooted itself with Afterlife grossing $60 million in North America back a year and a half ago, and was the first entry in 3-D. With higher ticket prices and the horror genre not having really any competition (as The Devil Inside will fall out of the Top 10 this week), this should improve upon its' predecessors' opening.
Weekend Prediction: $24 million
Estimated Final Gross: $55-$60 million
#2: Contraband
Mark Wahlberg's action flick is being well-recieved by audiences, and even with more competition, it still could be a major factor this weekend...
Weekend Prediction: $14 million (-43%)
Estimated 10-Day Gross: $48.5 million
#3: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
I didn't cover this in my monthly report (my bad), but this film had been in limited release the last few weeks, and has only earned so-so grosses. The 9-11 drama has starpower with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock headlining, and has recieved major attention from some awards associations. While it was on the outside looking in for the Golden Globes, it still has seen great promotion and buzz. Those factors alone should guarantee a good opening.
Weekend Prediction: $13 million
Estimated Final Gross: $40 million
#4: Beauty and the Beast (3D)
It is the only family movie playing, and even though it's already on DVD and won't see as strong of a hold as Lion King's re-release, good word-of-mouth will give this a solid hold.
Weekend Prediction: $12.5 million (-30%)
Estimated 10-Day Total: $38 million
#5: Red Tails
Originally developed by the legendary (and is currently rumored to be retiring) George Lucas (he is executive producing as well), war flick Red Tails is hoping to not just get his fanbase but also get a bump from casual moviegoers. Buzz has been steady over the last week, and while promotion hasn't been on the high side, there's a lot of competition going against it. Its' going to be tough, but it should be able to at least yield reasonable numbers.
Weekend Prediction: $10.5 million
Estimated Final Gross: $30 million
#6: Haywire
Action films keep crowding up the marketplace, and the final new release doesn't have as strong potential. This flick does have starpower with Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas and more as well as director Steven Soderbergh, who scored a hit with last fall's Contagion ($75 million). Buzz has been modest over the last week, and promotion has been modest, but it looks like this will be inconsequential compared to similar movies, due to an impending amount of competition.
Weekend Prediction: $7.5 million
Estimated Final Gross: $25 million
#7: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
This will likely drop harder than the last few weekends due to more competition for its' audience, but, its still looking like it will break the $200 million barrier next week.
Weekend Prediction: $6.5 million (-43%)
Estimated 37-Day Total: $198.5 million
#8: Joyful Noise
Encouraging word-of-mouth among audiences should help it to see a modest hold this weekend, though it doesn't lean as much toward faith-based audiences as recent similar films...
Weekend Prediction: $6.2 million (-45%)
Estimated 10-Day Total: $22.5 million
#9: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
While it won't reach the $200 million mark, it still is continuing to close the gap between it and its' predecessor...
Weekend Prediction: $5 million (-41%)
Estimated 37-Day Total: $179 million
#10: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Its' drawing closer to the $100 million mark, and with the Oscar nominations coming up next week, it will likely continue to level off strongly...
Weekend Prediction: $4 million (-39%)
Estimated 32-Day Total: $95 million
Possible change: Dependent on if it expands further or not, The Iron Lady could hold well enough to take the tenth spot...
