Fantasy Movie League: The Wizarding World is Back!

There are times when you’re so close to achieving a goal that it hurts. That was me last week in my quest for a Perfect Cineplex. I correctly surmised that Bohemian Rhapsody was the best anchor. I also correctly surmised that Overlord was the Best Value, and that Venom was also a good bet on the lower end. In fact, through my first seven screens, I was perfect.

But, you see, it was that eighth screen that cost me. I went with Smallfoot on the bottom. It seemed like a solid and reasonable choice, on based on the appeal of family viewing. But, you see, The Hate U Give finished about $500,000 higher. That was the difference between my choice, and perfection. But there’s no time to cry over missed opportunities. As Bill Belichick would say, we’re on to the next week.

This week there are another four new movies in the game, including the return of the Wizarding World. Time to figure out where the value lies. And as always, if you think you’re better at the game than me, I encourage you to join me in a Fantasy Life App Blog league! You can join the league here. Let’s see how this week stacks up.

New at the Box Office:

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for some time, you’re probably aware that the Wizarding World lives on with the Fantastic Beasts films. And the second one, The Crimes of Grindelwald, opens tomorrow (or tonight, technically). And it’s going to be huge. But the film’s critical score on Rotten Tomatoes — a mere 55 percent — gives me a moment of pause. Still, it will be a huge opening. But how huge? And will it provide value? The film is the most expensive in the game at $699 FML Bucks and Fantasy Movie League predicts it at the top at $72.1 million. But they are the most bullish. Box Office Pro calls for $65 million while Box Office Report calls for $68.5 million. So it will be at the top of the Box Office, but might not be a solid anchor value.

The next wide release is Widows, which comes from director Steve McQueen and stars Viola Davis, among others. It’s been critically lauded, boasting a 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. That and its award season buzz should help generate a crowd. It’s 167 FML Bucks, and Fantasy Movie League projects $15.8 million. Box Office Pro calls for just $14.5 million, but Box Office Report sees $17 million. If it’s high, there’s value. If it goes low, it could sink you.

The final wide release is Instant Family, which is a family film starring Mark Wahlberg. In recent years he’s done a few of these, and they’ve brought modest success. This seems ideally suited for Thanksgiving week, too. It boasts a respectable 73 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s priced at $180 FML Bucks. It’s projections are relatively close, too, with Fantasy Movie League projecting $19.4 million, Box Office Pro seeing $18 million and Box Office Report projecting $19 million. There could be value there, especially as this has some wide appeal.

The final new entry in the game is Boy Erased, a limited release film based on a true story about a minister’s son sent to gay conversion therapy. This is a storyline that’s popped up in a couple different films this year, this time in a film aiming as Awards season with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe in the cast. It sits at 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and costs just $19 FML Bucks. It’s projected around $2 million and is low-end filler.

The Search for the Best Value:

Last week The Grinch took the top spot at the Box Office, but its cost limited its potential as a solid value or anchor. But it’s likely to continue to be a draw, especially for families during Thanksgiving week. It costs $387 FML Bucks and has projections between $36 and $39 million. That seems solid, but Fantasy Movie League is the most bullish on the film, which means its potential for Best Value is severely limited.

Overlord was the Best Value last week, and it’s projections and cost ($49 FML Bucks) make it seem like a value again this week. Bohemian Rhapsody continues to draw, but like The Grinch Fantasy Movie League holds the highest projection, limiting its potential as a value.

This Week’s Lineup:

This is a hard week, as Fantasy Movie League boasts the highest projection on a number of key films. That can prove difficult in assessing value. It’s tempting to ride Widows, but I’m going for the family crowd.

Instant Family x5

Overlord

Venom

Boy Erased