February kicks off with several new movies, two of which are from Paramount. Paramount releases their horror sequel Rings, STX Entertainment debuts the science-fiction romance The Space Between Us, and Paramount comes out again with the drama Same Kind of Different as Me. Could this be the start of what some speculate could be one of the highest-grossing February months ever at the box office?
Rings (Paramount)
PROS:
- The horror sequel takes place 13 years after the modern classic 2002 film The Ring. The original about a haunted VHS tape that caused the death of anybody who watched it after seven days. This updated version is about an Internet video.
- The original The Ring earned $129.1 million in 2002, or approximately $192.3 million adjusted for ticket price inflation. That’s pretty much the highest gross a studio could ever possibly expect for a horror release, and is indeed one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time.
CONS:
- 2005’s sequel The Ring Two earned “only” $76.2 million. While certainly a decent sum, it was coming hot on the heels of the first film and returned star Naomi Watts (this new installment doesn’t), yet only sold about half the tickets of the original. You might have noticed there wasn’t a The Ring Three.
- The horror film was originally scheduled for release on October 28, three days prior to Halloween, before being rescheduled to February. That may have been a lost opportunity.
The Space Between Us (STX Entertainment)
PROS:
- This sci-fi drama about the first human born and raised on Mars who moves to Earth as a teenager stars Asa Butterfield, who’s coming off a decently-sized box office hit as the lead of September’s Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children which has earned $86.4 million.
- Originally scheduled for December 16, the pushback to February might have been a smart move. For one, it was originally scheduled up against Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. That would have been tough competition for any film, but especially a fellow sci-fi release. Also, the original projections of Space as a possible awards contender were steadily dropping as December approached, so moving it away from December means it can’t get swamped by other stronger awards contenders at the box office.
CONS:
- On the other hand, the release date change could also work against it. The film was originally scheduled for August 2016, then December 2016, and now February 2017. The studio doesn’t seem to have the most confidence in the project. And the 11th-hour release change from December to February may confuse audiences, as television advertisements for the film had already started to air touting the December release.
Same Kind of Different as Me (Paramount)
PROS:
- Based on the true story of a married couple who befriends a homeless man, the film packs an all-star cast of Oscar winners and nominees including Greg Kinnear, Renée Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, and Jon Voight.
CONS:
- Buzz online has been virtually nonexistent, with very few trailer views, especially considering that the trailer has already been online for several months.
Check out the official Boxoffice Pro long range forecast in the table below.
| Title | Wide Release Date | Distributor | Opening Weekend | Cumulative |
| Rings | Fri, Feb 3 | Paramount | $19,000,000 | $45,000,000 |
| The Space Between Us | Fri, Feb 3 | STX Entertainment | $7,000,000 | $20,000,000 |
| Same Kind of Different as Me | Fri, Feb 3 | Paramount | $4,500,000 | $12,000,000 |
| Resident Evil: The Final Chapter | Fri, Jan 27 | Sony / Screen Gems | $24,000,000 | $52,000,000 |
| A Dog’s Purpose | Fri, Jan 27 | Universal | $16,000,000 | $65,000,000 |
| Bastards | Fri, Jan 27 | Warner Bros. | $8,000,000 | $22,000,000 |
| Gold | Fri, Jan 27 | Weinstein Company | $7,000,000 | $22,000,000 |
| xXx: The Return of Xander Gage | Fri, Jan 20 | Paramount | $32,000,000 | $72,000,000 |
| Split | Fri, Jan 20 | Universal | $16,000,000 | $45,000,000 |
| The Founder | Fri, Jan 20 | Weinstein | $9,500,000 | $39,000,000 |
| The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | Fri, Jan 20 | High Top Releasing | $1,400,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Live By Night | Fri, Jan 13 | Warner Bros. | $25,000,000** | $69,000,000 |
| Patriots Day | Fri, Jan 13 | Lionsgate | $23,500,000** | $78,000,000 |
| Sleepless | Fri, Jan 13 | Open Road Films | $13,000,000** | $42,000,000 |
| Monster Trucks | Fri, Jan 13 | Paramount | $12,000,000** | $22,000,000 |
| The Bye Bye Man | Fri, Jan 13 | STX Entertainment | $8,000,000** | $17,000,000 |
| Underworld: Blood Wars | Fri, Jan 6 | Sony / Screen Gems | $17,000,000 | $42,000,000 |
| Amityville: The Awakening | Fri, Jan 6 | Weinstein / Dimension | $8,000,000 | $17,000,000 |
| Why Him? | Fri, Dec 23 | Fox | $9,000,000 | $54,000,000 |
| Passengers | Wed, Dec 21 | Sony / Columbia | $31,000,000* | $145,000,000 |
| Sing | Wed, Dec 21 | Universal | $30,000,000* | $165,000,000 |
| Assassin’s Creed | Wed, Dec 21 | Fox | $20,000,000* | $77,000,000 |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Fri, Dec 16 | Disney | $155,000,000 | $460,000,000 |
| Collateral Beauty | Fri, Dec 16 | Warner Bros. | $13,000,000 | $72,000,000 |
Shawn Robbins and Jesse Rifkin contributed to this report.
*= 3-day weekend (Friday-Sunday)
**= 4-day weekend (Friday-Monday)
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