EARLY FRIDAY BOXOFFICE REPORT – 2/8/13

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The early Friday numbers this week are likely to be even less reliable than usual, since weather conditions on the East Coast make estimates very dicey.  That being said, the preliminary numbers at Deadline make it clear that come blizzard or high water, IDENTITY THIEF (Universal) will be the big winner of the weekend.  It made a reported $11.2M on Friday, considerably more than Bridesmaid‘s $7.8M.  However, Identity is likely to be more front-loaded than Bridesmaids, especially with the storm continuing into Saturday, and should be headed for a $27-30M weekend.  The week’s other opening, Steven Soderbergh’s SIDE EFFECTS (Open Road) is doing considerably slimmer business, with a $2.7M Friday and perhaps $7M for the weekend–not exactly the way Soderbergh might have chosen to say goodbye to his big-screen career in his last film before (at least temporary) retirement.

Among the holdovers, WARM BODIES (Summit/Lionsgate) is in the lead, but down more than 60% from its opening last week, for a $3M Friday and $9M weekend.  BULLET TO THE HEAD (Warners) plunged even more steeply, down 70% from last Friday for a $1.5M weekend and oblivion.  The other January fantasies–HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS (Paramount/MGM) and MAMA (Universal)–should have weekends of $3.5-4M.   SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (Weinstein) is in the forefront of the Oscar nominees, down about 40% on Friday and aiming at $5M or so for the weekend.  Behind it are ZERO DARK THIRTY (Sony) with a weekend of about $3M, DJANGO UNCHAINED (Weinstein/Sony) with about $1.5M, and ARGO (Warners) back in wide release for another $1M.