Based on projections, this year will probably wind up ahead of last year.
Here is the projected Top 10:
#1: Inferno ($24 million)
#2: Boo! A Madea Halloween ($15 million, -49%)
#3: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back ($12.5 million, -45%)
#4: Ouija: Origin of Evil ($9.5 million, -33%)
#5: The Accountant ($8.5 million, -38%)
#6: The Girl on the Train ($4.5 million, -38%)
#7: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children ($4 million, -32%)
#8: Keeping Up with the Joneses ($3.5 million, -36%)
#9: Storks ($2.8 million, -30%)
#10: Kevin Hart: What Now? ($2.5 million, -39%)
Inferno is the third movie in the Ron Howard Da Vinci Code series. These movies have never been well-reviewed, and this one is no exception at just 22% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its also been seven years since the last movie, Angels and Demons, which earned only two-thirds ($135 million) of The Da Vinci Code, which pulled in $217 million back in 2006. While it will benefit from a recent resurgence in popularity for star Tom Hanks, who had a major hit last month with Sully, it just doesn't seem like this is the kind of movie that will really set the box office on fire (the odd Halloween release date doesn't help matters either). The good news is that the overseas box office is strong ($100 million so far), and the budget is at a fairly reasonable $75 million.
With Inferno being the only new release this weekend and not expected to make much waves, most holdovers should hold fine this weekend as moviegoers get ready for the Holiday movie season beginning next weekend with Doctor Strange. Out of all releases, the movies that will have the strongest declines will be some of last weekend's releases. Jack Reacher has more direct competition for adults, and Boo! A Madea Halloween has the misfortunes of being in a franchise where fans have already rushed out to see it (it should still hold better than normal for the franchise though, since Halloween is on Monday).
Halloween should also be good news for Ouija: Origin of Evil. Everything else should stabilize fine before audiences shift focus to the holiday releases.
