Each Thursday we look at what is going to be coming out in theaters this weekend, show you the trailers for the big releases, predict the box office winner and just generally give you enough of a carrot to pull you through the rest of the work week. December 9th brings two new wide releases, and if you’re lucky enough to live in one of the select cities where it’s beginning its run: the early favorite for Best Picture.
The two new wide releases this weekend will try to keep Moana from a third week atop the box office. You have the Christmas comedy, Office Christmas Party, with Jason Bateman, Jennifer Anniston, and TJ Miller, which is definitely the only film that has a shot at dethroning Moana. Jessica Chastain’s politcal thriller, Miss Sloane, is opening on half the screens that OCP is, and as good as Chastain is, she doesn’t bring people to the theaters as a solo lead.
If you live in select cities, the early frontrunner for Best Picture, La La Land is opening (I do not live in a select city). The musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, is the second film from Whiplash‘s Damien Chazelle, which makes it appointment viewing. I’m still stunned at how good Whiplash was period, let alone as a first film. Those of us who do not dwell in the select cities, though, are going to have to wait a few weeks (but with Rogue One now only ONE WEEK AWAY, I think we’ll make it).
La La Land (Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, PG-13, 2hr 8min)
Miss Sloane (Jessica Chastain, R, 2hr 12min)
Office Christmas Party (Jennifer Aniston, R, 1hr 45min)
HOW DID WE DO LAST WEEK?
KT picked Moana and Disney to keep their eternal death grip on the top spot at the box office and the Polynesian princess did just that, raking in $28.3 million while Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, continues to deliver Warner Brothers a much-needed year end boost, finishing second with $18.2 million (Lifetime prediction record 35-5).
WHO WILL WIN THE WEEKEND?
It’s entirely possible that Office Christmas Party could break the dismal performance of Christmas movies in recent years and score an upset, but I’m certainly not betting against Disney at this point in the year. It’ll be close, but Moana for the three-peat before it hands the torch to ANOTHER Disney blockbuster (THE Disney blockbuster) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story next weekend.
