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. Sports is again challenging movies this weekend as the Winter Olympics in South Korea begin tonight. Marvel’s not shying away next weekend, but this weekend studios are counterprogramming largely with three wide releases.
If you’re not hyped about the Olympics, or a member of the Fifty Shades cult…..it’s a rough weekend at the box office. The third and, blessedly, final film in the soccer mom-driven porny franchise: Fifty Shades Freed will seek to target women viewers (who are actually much more likely to be interested in the Winter Olympics than most sporting events historically). Peter Rabbit, which would make Beatrix Potter spin in her grave, is trying to target kids. This is NOT Peter Rabbit. The 15:17 to Paris may have the least hype of a Clint Eastwood directed film in recent memory. It uses the actual heroes that stopped a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train to recreate the incident, but none of the three wide releases are hitting the mark with the critics, so your best bet is to get ready for some hockey, skiing, and-starting tonight-curling. BRING ON CURLING!
The 15:17 to Paris (Jenna Fischer, Spencer Stone, PG-13, 1hr 34min)
Winchester (Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, R, 2hr 0min)
Peter Rabbit (Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, Daisy Ridley, PG, 1hr 40min)
How Did We Do Last Week? KT picked Jumanji to make a rare return to the top of the box office and it narrowly did so for its fourth win of 2018. The film made another $10.9 million, barely beating last week’s champ Maze Runner: The Death Cure which made $10.6 million. Jumanji has now pulled in $355.1 million domestically and $860.1 million globally in its run.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi fell out of the top 10 for the final time. The ninth Star Wars film has made $615.2 million domestic and $1.321 billion globally. All-time, it remains the #6 highest grossing film domestically, and if it passes The Avengers at $623 and cracks the top five it will be by inches. Internationally, it is the #9 film. It needs another $20.3 million worldwide to pass Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 for the #8 slot.
(2018 Prediction Record: 5-0; Lifetime prediction record 90-10).
WHO WILL WIN THE WEEKEND?
Though it has had diminishing returns with each installment, the Fifty Shades phenomenon will get enough people out to win in a weak box office environment. 
Definitely not THE Peter Rabbit, but looks like a fun ride none-the-less. 😀
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Wasn’t Peter Rabbit a child rabbit in the book? I know that that’s the least of the liberties taken, and yet I feel like if they don’t even care to get that right… also, do kids still read Beatrix Potter? Is that why this was made? If they do still read her, I’m thrilled. But I don’t think they do. I think a horror was perpetrated for no reason at all.
I’m glad the Fifty Shades films were not better. I am far from a moralist, but I do think they would have dragged us all down—a little—had they been phenomenons. As for Clint, I love him, but he did not even allow his leads acting lessons. I admire them to no end for thier act of heroism, and the movie is a must see, but at home. If it turns out to be painful, I can switch it off. I hope it’s not painful.
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I think Beatrix Potter, at least in the States, is similar to Agatha Christie for adults: she’s fallen out of the reading curriculum for people. I know my wife read them to her kids, but the kids I know today don’t know who Peter Rabbit is, who was a child in the books and not…..this. It’s just the name slapped on a rabbit. It has nothing to do with Potter.
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I’m not bummed out that no one reads Potter. I loved her little books when I was a kid, but some things are a product of thier time and place and that’s okay.
If this movie is a sucesss a lot of kids are going to turn to the source material and get bummed out though, by the lack of TNT.
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The artistry of the Potter books and their physical presentation always was so charming to me. If I had kids, I would definitely have a set of those little illustrated books for them, but I don’t and genetically the world is probably safer for it lol.
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Please. The gene pool needs as many people who are able to appreciate the physical presentation of books as possible.
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Talk of fifty shades
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