by Matt Marshall
And here we are, back in January again. There’s a huge sigh that goes along with that statement. The month of January is Hollywood’s unofficial dumping ground. But while potential awards contenders (Her, 12 Years a Slave) are set to expand later this month, the first wide release of 2014 isn’t here to impress art-house audiences.
It’s no surprise Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is opening 2014 for movies. Looking back at previous years, there has been a strong horror trend in this frame. Last year this time, Texas Chainsaw 3D debuted to $21.7 million. Found footage film, The Devil Inside was released the year before with a $33.7 million opening. Both films burned up much of its interest after day 1 and Paranormal should be no different.
Even outside of its typical October release, The Marked Ones should entice a good portion of its established fanbase. The film is set for a 10 p.m. release Thursday night, which will help the frontloaded Friday sales.
Make no mistake that The Marked Ones is not Paranormal Activity 5 (due out this October). Instead, The Marked Ones branches off to Oxnard, California, where a young man (Andrew Jacobs) is marked by an unusual bite setting in motion events fans of the franchise know all too well.
As the sole new release for the weekend, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is projected to claim the top spot. Against the holiday holdovers, expect The Marked Ones to open around $22 million.
Box Office Projections
1. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (Paramount) – $22.1 million (NR)
2. Frozen (Buena Vista) – $20.0 million (2)
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (WB) – $16.1 million (1)
4. American Hustle (Sony) – $13.2 million (4)
5. The Wolf of Wall Street (Paramount) – $11.9 million (5)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Matt Marshall is a YouTube movie reviewer who hosts MNMreviews. He has a B.A. in Communications/Journalism from St. John Fisher College and resides in Rochester, NY.
