This week’s report briefly takes an early look at the first confirmed wide release slated for the new year on the weekend of January 4.

Escape Room

Opening Weekend Range: $10 – 20 million

The film’s first trailer recently debuted online, promising the high production quality that has come to be expected from the booming horror/thriller field. Early social media buzz is difficult to gauge for original films in the genre, particularly when opening immediately in the wake of a crowded end-of-year corridor filled with titles audiences are more focused on. Still, there is enough reason to expect this will successfully counter-program those holiday holdovers thanks to targeted appeal among teen and young adult moviegoers.

Paramount currently has Eli slated to open on January 4; however, we’re expecting that release to change with minimal marketing up to this point and the direct competition with Sony’s Escape Room.

8-Week Forecast

Release Date Title 3-Day Wide Release Tracking % Chg from Last Week Domestic Total Forecast % Chg from Last Week Estimated Location Count Distributor 11/16/2018 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald $70,000,000 -4% $205,000,000 -5% 4,000 Warner Bros. 11/16/2018 Instant Family $18,000,000 $100,000,000 3,000 Paramount 11/16/2018 Widows $15,500,000 -6% $61,100,000 -6% 3,000 Fox 11/21/2018 Creed II $34,000,000 13% $113,000,000 13% 3,300 MGM 11/21/2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet $50,000,000 $200,000,000 3,900 Disney 11/21/2018 Robin Hood $10,000,000 $30,000,000 2,900 Lionsgate / Summit 11/21/2018 Green Book (Wide Expansion) $5,500,000 NEW n/a 2,400 Universal 11/30/2018 The Possession of Hannah Grace n/a n/a Sony / Columbia 12/12/2018 Once Upon a Deadpool (Limited Release) n/a n/a Fox 12/14/2018 Mortal Engines $16,000,000 $55,000,000 Universal 12/14/2018 The Mule $14,000,000 $80,000,000 Warner Bros. 12/14/2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse $22,000,000 $90,000,000 Sony / Columbia 12/19/2018 Mary Poppins Returns $40,000,000 $350,000,000 Disney 12/21/2018 Aquaman $50,000,000 11% $175,000,000 Warner Bros. 12/21/2018 Bumblebee $20,000,000 $100,000,000 Paramount 12/21/2018 Second Act $7,000,000 $40,000,000 STX 12/21/2018 Welcome to Marwen n/a n/a Universal 12/25/2018 Holmes & Watson $17,000,000 $85,000,000 Sony / Columbia 12/25/2018 Vice (Wide) n/a $65,000,000 Annapurna 1/4/2019 Eli (2019) n/a n/a Paramount 1/4/2019 Escape Room $13,000,000 NEW $32,000,000 NEW Sony / Columbia

Contact us for information about subscribing to Boxoffice.com’s suite of forecasting and data services.