November 16, 2017

Thanksgivingâs box office battle starts in earnest this weekend, with Justice League going head to head with Thor: Ragnarok, and Pixarâs Coco gearing up for a big release on Wednesday. Justice League debuts in 4,051 theaters tomorrow, according to Warner Bros.â Thursday morning announcement, which is just a shade behind the 4,080 theaters that Thor launched in, and will continue to play in this weekend. The 29-theater difference shouldnât change the equation much: Justice League will easily win the weekend, and Thor is most likely headed for second place.

There are a few other interesting new releases this weekend though. Wonder is looking for family audiences from 3,096 locations, while The Star is also seeking out families, but hoping to get business from an even younger crowd, and will play in 2,837 venues. Both films have a very narrow window before Coco opens in an estimated 3,800 theaters on Wednesday.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. rolls out in four locations, and joins a growing throng of Oscar-hopeful dramas. It will expand to about 1,500 theaters on Wednesday, which seems ambitious, to be honest, although it wonât have a huge amount of competition in wide release.

Notable expansions this weekend include Lady Bird, which grows from 37 to 238 theaters, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which adds 49 new theaters to the four it played in last weekend.

Bruce Nash