TerryRL

2008 at the Box Office

With about seven weeks left in '07, many are already focusing their thoughts on next year's line-up of films. Here's the tentative schedule for 2008's releases from the major studios...

(all dates are subject to change)

JANUARY
4th
-"One Missed Call" (WB)
11th
-"27 Dresses" (Fox)
-"The Bucket List" (WB)
-"First Friday" (Sony/Screen Gems)
-"In the Name of the King: A Dragon Siege Tale" (Freestyle Releasing)
-"The Orphanage" (Picturehouse)
-"The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" (Universal)
18th
-"Cloverfield" (Paramount)
-"Mad Money" (Overture Films)
25th
-"Be Kind, Rewind" (New Line)
-"How She Move" (Paramount Vantage)
-"Meet the Spartans" (Fox)
-"Rambo" (Lionsgate)
-"Untraceable" (Sony)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Cloverfield"

FEBRUARY
1st
-"The Eye" (Lionsgate)
-"Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" (Disney)
-"Over My Dead Body" (New Line)
-"Strange Wilderness" (Paramount)
8th
-"Fool's Gold" (WB)
-"The Poughkeepsie Tapes" (MGM)
-"Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" (Universal)
14th (Thursday)
-"Definitely, Maybe" (Universal)
-"Jumper" (Fox)
-"Step Up 2: The Streets" (Disney)
15th
-"George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead" (Weinstein Co.)
-"The Spiderwick Chronicles" (Paramount)
22nd
-"Charlie Bartlett" (MGM)
-"Vantage Point" (Sony)
-"Witless Protection" (Lionsgate)
29th
-"The Other Bolyen Girl" (Sony)
-"Penelope" (IFC)
-"Possession" (Yari Film Group)
-"Semi-Pro" (New Line)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Semi-Pro"

MARCH
7th
-"10,000 B.C." (WB)
-"The Accidental Husband" (Yari Film Group)
-"The Bank Job" (Lionsgate)
-"College Road Trip" (Disney)
14th
-"Get Some" (Summit Entertainment)
-"Horton Hears a Who" (Fox)
-"Pride & Glory" (New Line)
19th (Wednesday)
-"Inkheart" (New Line)
21st
-"Drillbit Taylor" (Paramount)
-"Shutter" (Fox)
-"Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" (Lionsgate)
28th
-"21" (Sony)
-"Run, Fatboy, Run" (Picturehouse)
-"Stop Loss" (Paramount)
-"Superhero Movie" (Dimention/Weinstein Co.)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Horton Hears a Who"

APRIL
4th
-"Henry Poole is Here" (MGM)
-"Leatherheads" (Universal)
-"Nim's Island" (Fox)
-"The Ruins" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
-"Shine a Light" (Paramount Vantage)
-"Wild Child" (Universal)
11th
-"The Brothers Bloom" (Summit Entertainment)
-"College" (Lionsgate)
-"Prom Night" (Sony/Screen Gems)
-"Smart People" (Miramax)
18th
-"Baby Mama" (Universal)
-"Forbidden Kingdom" (Lionsgate)
-"The Rocker" (Fox)
25th
-"Amusement" (Picturehouse)
-"Big Stan" (Yari Film Group)
-"Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo" (New Line)
-"The List" (Fox)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Forbidden Kingdom"

MAY
2nd
-"Iron Man" (Paramount)
-"Made of Honor" (Sony)
9th
-"Speed Racer" (WB)
16th
-"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (Disney/Walden Media)
-"Midnight Meat Train" (Lionsgate)
-"What Happens in Vegas" (Fox)
22nd (Thursday)
-"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (Lucasfilm/Paramount)
30th
-"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (Universal)
-"Sex & the City" (New Line)
-"Starship Dave" (Fox)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"

JUNE
6th
-"Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
-"You Don't Mess with the Zohan" (Sony)
13th
-"The Happening" (Fox)
-"The Incredible Hulk" (Universal)
20th
-"Get Smart" (WB)
-"The Love Guru" (Paramount)
27th
-"Wall-E" (Disney/Pixar)
-"Wanted" (Universal)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Wall-E"

JULY
2nd
-"Hancock" (Sony)
-"Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" (Picturehouse)
11th
-"Hellboy II: The Golden Army" a.k.a "HB II" (Universal)
-"Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
18th
-"The Dark Knight" (WB)
-"Mama Mia!" (Universal)
25th
-"Step Brothers" (Sony)
-Untitled Ice Cube Comedy (MGM)
-"X-Files 2" (Fox)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "The Dark Knight"

AUGUST
1st
-"He's Just Not That Into You" (New Line)
-"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (Universal)
-"South of the Border" (Disney)
8th
-"Blindness" (Miramax)
-"Eagle Eye" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
-"Journey 3D" (New Line)
-"The Pineapple Express" (Sony)
-"Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" (WB)
15th
-"Dragonball" (Fox)
-"The International" (Sony)
22nd
-"Case 39" (Paramount)
-"Fly Me to the Moon- 3D" (N Wave)
-"I Know What Boys Like" (Sony)
-"Trailer Trash" (MGM)
29th
-"Babylon A.D." (Fox)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"

SEPTEMBER
5th
-"Clive Barker Presents: "Hellraiser" (MGM/Weinstein)
12th
-"Nights in Rodanthe" (WB)
-"Punisher: War Zone" (Lionsgate)
19th
-"Lakeview Terrace" (Sony/Screen Gems)
-"My Best Friend's Girl" (Lionsgate)
-"Nothing But the Truth" (Yari Film Group)
26th
-"Death Race" (Universal)
-"Nowhereland" (Paramount)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Death Race"

OCTOBER
3rd
-"Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" (Sony)
-"RockNRolla" (WB)
-"Valkyrie" (United Artists)
10th
-"Body of Lies" (WB)
-"City of Ember" (Fox)
-"The Express" (Universal)
-"Sex Drive" (Summit Entertainment)
-"Soul Men" (MGM/Weinstein)
-"The Women" (Picturehouse)
17th
-"The Lonely Maiden" (Yari Film Group)
-"Quarantine" (Sony/Screen Gems)
-"Scanners" (MGM)
-"Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail" (Lionsgate)
24th
-"Igor" (Weinstein Co.)
-"Saw V" (Lionsgate)
31st
-"Motel Hell" (MGM)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Body of Lies"

NOVEMBER
7th
-"James Bond 22" (MGM/Sony)
-"Madagascar: The Crate Escape" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
14th
-"Four Christmases" (New Line)
21st
-"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (WB)
26th
-"Bolt" (Disney)
-"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

DECEMBER
5th
N/A
12th
-"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (Fox)
-"Seven Pounds" (Sony)
-"Twilight" (Summit Entertainment)
19th
-"Marley & Me" (Fox)
-"Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
-"The Tale of Despereaux" (Universal)
-"Yes Man" (WB)
25th (Thursday)
-"Bedtime Stories" (Disney)
-"Fame" (MGM)
-"Star Trek XI" (Paramount)
Expected biggest hit of the month: "Bedtime Stories"

At this point, the two films expected to battle it out for the domestic crown are Indy IV and "The Dark Knight". There is very little debate that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be the year's biggest worldwide grosser, but many are split as to who will win this latest battle between Batman and Indiana Jones.

The first (and only) time the two franchises faced off was in 1989 when Tim Burton's "Batman" took the domestic crown with its $251.2 million haul, followed by the $197.2 million haul of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". 'Crusade' took the worldwide crown as it pulled in $474.2 million compared to the $411.3 million global tally of "Batman".

Don't be surprised if Indy ends up being the year's biggest domestic performer and second biggest worldwide earner. I do think TDK will be huge, but not nearly as big overseas as either HP or Indy. Also expect major league performances by both 'Prince Caspian' and "Wall-E".

Next year's schedule isn't nearly as gaudy as that of this year's, but I think '08 is going to be a really strong twelve months of business at the box office. I could be way off, but I really like next year's list of flicks.

"Quite an experience to live in fear isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave."

Greg Layton

Re: 2008 at the Box Office

Cloverfield vs. Rambo in January seems like an intriguing early-year matchup. I'd have to think that Rambo will make more money based solely on name recognition. Both films seem out of place that early in the year, though.

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TerryRL

Re: 2008 at the Box Office

Paramount is hoping for a 'Blair Witch'-like performance out of "Cloverfield". The studio seems to be pretty confident that the movie is going to be a big hit. If "Rambo" is as big (or bigger) than "Rocky Balboa" ($70.3 million domestically/$155.6 million worldwide) than Lionsgate will go forward with 'Rambo V'.

Personally, I think "Cloverfield" has the edge, but I am expecting "Rambo" to be a big early year hit. I also think "Fanboys" will have a very solid run as well. Overall, January should be a better than average month for the industry.

"Quite an experience to live in fear isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave."

Andy Sheets

Re: 2008 at the Box Office

Hmmmm...looks like a pretty entertaining year to me.

-"Rambo" (Lionsgate)
-"George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead" (Weinstein Co.)
-"Iron Man" (Paramount)
-"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (Disney)
22nd (Thursday)
-"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (Lucasfilm/Paramount)
30th
-"The Incredible Hulk" (Universal)
-"Wall-E" (Disney/Pixar)
-"Hancock" (Sony)
-"HB II" a.k.a "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal)
-"The Dark Knight" (WB)
-"X-Files 2" (Fox)
-"Trailer Trash" (MGM)
-"James Bond 22"
-"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (WB)
-"Star Trek XI" (Paramount)

On the other hand...

-"Superhero Movie" (Dimention/Weinstein Co.)
-"Death Race" (Universal)

Excuse me while I go stick my head in an oven.

Chuck Mayer

Re: 2008 at the Box Office

-"Be Kind, Rewind" (New Line)
-"Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo" (New Line)
-"Jumper" (Fox)
-"Pride & Glory" (New Line)
-"Iron Man" (Paramount)
-"Speed Racer" (WB)
-"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (Lucasfilm/Paramount)
-"Sex & the City" (New Line)
-"Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
-"The Incredible Hulk" (Universal)
-"Get Smart" (WB)
-"Wall-E" (Disney/Pixar)
-"Hancock" (Sony)
-"HB II a.k.a Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal)
-"The Dark Knight[/b]" (WB)
-"Blindness" (Miramax)
-"The Pineapple Express" (Sony)
-"Where the Wild Things Are" (WB)
-"James Bond 22"
-"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (WB)
-"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount) FINCHER
-"Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks/Paramount)
-"Star Trek XI" (Paramount) ???
Most excited for

I think TDK will do mid-200's. I agree Indy will be stronger overseas, and probably a little stronger domestically.

I'm excited for Hellboy, because GdT is worth getting excited over, even if I was only so-so on the first film. Any film by Fincher is VERY welcome. It won't make much money, but who cares.

Thanks for the initial rundown, Terry. As always

TerryRL

Re: 2008 at the Box Office

No problem Chuck.

"The Dark Knight", Indy IV, "HB II", 'Benjamin Button', 'Hulk", "The Happening", "Wall-E", "The Pineapple Express", Bond 22, and Harry Potter are the flicks I'm most looking forward to in '08.

"Quite an experience to live in fear isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave."

Lou Sytsma

Re: 2008 at the Box Office

Yes, thanks Terry. Some good films next year. WallE, Indy, Ironman, The Ruins, James Bond, and Batman top my list.

I am also eager, but apprehensive, to see the result of JJs Trek reboot.

Every man is my superior, in that I may learn from him.

TerryRL

Re: 2008 at the Box Office

I'm hopeful that Abrams' ST flick is good. I'm a little disappointed that it'll have a time travel element to it. This is the fourth time the film series has dealt with such an issue (joining #4, #7, and #8). It will also be weird seeing new actors playing the original crew.

Still, I thought Abrams a good job with M:I-III, and he may end up being exactly what the Trek series needs to reinvigorate itself.

"Quite an experience to live in fear isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave."

Lou Sytsma

Re: 2008 at the Box Office