Box-Office Oracle: Jan. 25 – Jan. 27, 2008

January has been a nice month for Hollywood so far but I look for things to get back to normal this weekend. The only other contender for the crown is Rambo – and does he really have enough juice 20 years later? I think not. Cloverfield can drop over 60% and still get the victory.

Estimate: $20.8 million

It’s only getting 2800 theaters and it’s rated R. Plus it’s January. That’s a lot of strikes, so I can only plug in around $5500 per theatre. Any more would be silly.

Estimate: $15.4 million

It shocked me last weekend and it has no real competition this weekend. So a 47% bleed is what I’m projecting. Scoop!

Estimate: $12.4 million

I can’t think of a reason to see this other than a general unhappiness with how your life is going. It looks incredibly stupid. Still, it will sucker a few people in, though I could see it really falling hard, Dewey Cox style.

Estimate: $10.9 million

This movie makes us weaker as a country. That’s how terrible it is. Wait until you read Brad’s review – the pilot has turned off the “no ripping” light.

Estimate: $8.7 million

Jack came out today with an odd quote about Heath Ledger. He said “I warned him.” What does that mean? Warned him about what? Don’t play the Joker? Get tickets to Lakers’ games? Man, Jack is one weird dude.

Estimate: $8.6 million

Four Oscar noms??? Has the whole world gone mental? Now, there is a school of thought that says those four noms will deliver even more box office love to Juno but I’m betting against and here’s why: There can’t be anyone left in the target demo. Can there?

Estimate: $7.0 million

Let’s just keep talking about Juno. Give Cody credit – she has marketed herself beautifully. First she was “the stripper” and now that she’s tired of that she’s a bigtime screenwriter. They cast it to a tee too, so much cred it hurts.

Estimate: $4.0 million

How do she move? How do she move indeed.

Estimate: $3.8 million

Actually slots eight through fourteen are a total mess. I’ve got National Treasure II on one end with 4.0. Then, on the other end, No Country for Old Men with $3.3m. That means there are six films within a million dollars of each other. So a few thousand people will swing this thing either way. Translation: I’m not going to be getting the bottom of this list right unless my luck is superb.

Estimate: $3.6 million