Christie mystery takes on 'Jackass' in theaters, on big football weekend
Last weekend Jackass Forever (VIAC, VIACA) ruled the box office, and Super Bowl weekend usually sets up for a holdover winner (with viewers' attention focused on the football game) - but three wide releases are looking to steal the thunder anyway.
Jackass Forever is likely to pull back to the $10 million range, making room for two contenders in particular. Death on the Nile
(NYSE:DIS) is Kenneth Branagh's new Agatha Christie-based follow-up to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, which ended up doing $250 million worth of domestic business (and $352.8 million worldwide). And the Valentine's Day weekend romance-genre entry is Marry Me
(NASDAQ:CMCSA), with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson.
A third wide release comes from critically panned Liam Neeson thriller Blacklight (Briarcliff/Open Road).
Death on the Nile (DIS) looks solid after logging $1.1 million in Thursday previews, while Marry Me (CMCSA) settled for $525,000.
Meanwhile, with the Oscar nominations fresh in hand, the nominated films that did come from theaters instead of streaming will as usual expand their theatrical footprint in order to capitalize. That includes Best Picture nominees Belfast (CMCSA; also a Kenneth Branagh film) and Licorice Pizza
(OTC:MGMB).
See more details about the Netflix-led Oscar nominations here.