The Reject Report Kicks the Bucket

Posted by John Cairns (jcairns@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 11, 2008

Welcome to another killer edition of the Reject Report, where we preview the weekend’s box office. The big question is: will the momentum for Juno continue this weekend with a Number One finish? Or will it be The Bucket List with those two old codgers, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, at death’s door counting down the minutes to their funerals?

Quite a weekend ahead and definitely a close, close race at the top.

I might as well start with Juno, the well-received teenage-pregnancy movie directed by Jason Reitman, who also brought you Thank You for Smoking. Well, I have not seen Juno yet, but if it’s as good as Thank You for Smoking was then I think it’s worth seeing. Anyway, Juno moved into third place on the weekend and then on Monday and Tuesday jumped right into first place. Numero Uno. The number one movie in the land. And this was only in 1923 theaters!

This weekend, Fox Searchlight expands the run for Juno into 2447 theaters, so that means we will continue to see good business for the flick and possibly a Number One weekend finish. I think a $16 million weekend is in store. But it has stiff competition and we’ll get to that now.

The Bucket List is a real tearjerker about these two dying guys who set out on a road trip to fulfill all their wishes before they kick the bucket. Get it? Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd and Rob Morrow are also in it.

This movie did some excellent early business in the few theaters it was being shown in. But here’s the problem; Rotten Tomatoes has this movie getting so-so reviews. It’s rated as rotten! So I don’t know if a movie like this one can have legs against Juno, Jack Nicholson or no Jack Nicholson. I guess my question is whether Jack Nicholson alone will be enough for this flick to finish first. I think it will, but we shall see.

First Sunday stars Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan and Katt Williams in a movie where two guys plot to rob their neighborhood church in order to pay off a $17,000 debt, or else Ice Cube will lose his son. Didn’t the Blues Brothers movie have a plot where Jake and Elwood had to round up some cash or else some orphanage would be torn down? Similar plot.

But I think the guys in this movie have a fan base, and lots of African Americans should flock to see this. But I say it gets $12 million.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale stars Jason Statham in a fantasy-type movie based on the Dungeon Siege series of video games. It is about a man who is transformed into a warrior as sets out to rescue his wife, who has been kidnapped, from the forces of evil. Claire Forlani, Ray Liotta and Burt Reynolds are among thr many who appear in this flick.

Yawn! I say $5.5 mil.

The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything is the latest VeggieTales CGI adventure featuring three produce-based characters, Larry the Cucumber, Mr. Lunt and Pa Grape, who get sent back in time to rescue a beautiful princess from an evil tyrant in a real pirate adventure.

If I were a kid I wouldn’t be excited to see this one. So anyway, I say $4 million.

So what do I think is going to happen this weekend? Who knows. I’ve been wrong so many times before, I might as well be wrong again and pick Jack Nicholson to win at the box office.

Heck, I don’t have a clue who is going to finish first. So yes, at the end of the weekend these predictions will likely, definitely, kick the bucket. See you Sunday night with the box office results.

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