Night At The Museum (reviews) has Ben Stiller, teaming up with some of his best pals--along with industry legends Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney for some "family" fun; While the "based on a true story drama We Are Marshall (reviews) hopes to inspire the masses;
The Good Shepherd (reviews) has actor Robert De Niro calling the shots as director for Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie; Letters From Iwo Jima (reviews) is Clint Eastwood's companion piece to his own The Flags Of Our Fathers; Rocky Balboa (reviews) has been in the ring since Wednesday... While Matthew Barney: No Restraint (reviews) and The Painted Veil (reviews) begin runs in limited release.
Ian Mohr of Variety asks of the holiday competition:
Could "Rocky Balboa" pack a surprise punch at the Christmas box office this weekend?
Pic scored some knockout one-day B.O. numbers in its Wednesday debut for MGM, playing to $6.2 million. Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, the newest installment in the franchise centers on the Italian Stallion's return after a 16-year hiatus for yet another comeback.
Warners also got an early jump on the holidays Wednesday, rolling out Clint Eastwood's "Letters From Iwo Jima" in five locations for $20,522. Unlike its companion film, "Flags of Our Fathers," which Paramount handled, "Letters" is platforming and will not expand more widely this weekend.
"Rocky" expands from 2,752 playdates to 3,017 today, but the grizzled pugilist will face some stiff competish: Warner football pic "We Are Marshall" opens in more than 2,600, while Fox's family-skewing "Night at the Museum" has booked 3,688.
Opening in more than 2,200, over a crowded frame, will be Universal political pic "The Good Shepherd." Christmas Day will see the rollout of Paramount and DreamWorks' musical "Dreamgirls" and MGM's holiday horror remake "Black Christmas." (I'll have more to say about Black Christmas over the weekend...)
But as of Thursday, underdog "Rocky" was tracking better than any of the other films, posting particularly big numbers with males. Pic's biggest advantage could be that it's piquing the interest of females over 25, who may recall the fictitious Philly fighter in his prime.
That could spell trouble for "Marshall." Warners' inspirational gridiron drama -- which stars Matthew McConaughey as a coach trying to patch together a college squad after tragedy strikes -- seems to be having a tougher time generating a similar level of interest in the same key demos.
"Museum," meanwhile, starring Ben Stiller as a night watchman guarding some surprisingly lively exhibits, should have the teen market to itself among new releases and looks to be doing well with female auds.
A bevy of family-friendly holdovers could siphon off "Museum" biz, however, including Warner CG sensation "Happy Feet," Fox's own "Eragon" and Par's "Charlotte's Web," which the studio is predicting will see only a slight drop over the frame as more moms become available to take tots to the movies...
Article Continues...
Dave Karger of Entertainment Weekly predicts "Night at the Museuem" will come out on top--despite it not tracking as well as "Rocky"...
Ben Stiller's slay ride will drive laughs, holiday cheer, and big bucks to theaters this weekend.
...The Last Reel will continue to be updated with "special posts" throughout the extended holiday weekend...
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