Fantasy Movie League: Sonic reigns

President’s Day Weekend saw four new wide releases, but really it was only Sonic that proved a hit at the Box Office. By contrast, this weekend offers fewer new options, and little appeal as Sonic figures to continue his Box Office reign. But more on that in a minute.

Last week I thought Sonic was the clear anchor choice, and that proved to be true. I thought it even had a shot at being the value, and it finished third in that respect. But I bet on Downhill to best its projections, which it did, but that didn’t pan out. Instead, Parasite got that Best Picture winner bump and was the Best Value. So the Perfect Cineplex paired seven screens of Parasite, rather than the seven screens of Downhill I went with.

This week there are two new wide releases, but it’s the hedgehog that figures to sit atop the Box Office again. So where’s the value? Let’s investigate. 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. On to this week’s competition.

New at the Box Office:

The biggest new release is Disney’s Call of the Wild, a take on the classic book with Harrison Ford in the lead role. The film has done OK with critics, garnering a 67 percent critical score for now. It’s $344 FML Bucks, second most, and projected in second place with $14.6 million. Box Office Pro sees $13 million and Box Office Report sees $14.2 million, so that’s not encouraging in picking it for value with its inflated cost.

The only other wide release is Brahms: The Boy II, which features a creepy doll and what appears to be an even more wooden Katie Holmes. This film doesn’t have a critical score, but let’s go ahead and assume critics won’t like it. I didn’t even like the trailer, so that doesn’t seem like a stretch. It’s only $105 FML Bucks, and projected just inside the Top 5 at the Box Office with $5.5 million. Box Office Pro sees $5.6 million and Box Office Report sees $6 million. That means it could have at least steady value at its price point.

The Search for the Best Value:

Last week Sonic knocked it out of the park and bested its projections. This week, no surprise, it’s the most expensive option at $576 FML Bucks and expected to easily top the Box Office at $30.2 million. Box Office Pro sees $31 million and Box Office Report goes as high as $31.5 million. So while it is costly, it still feels like a solid anchor option. And if it bests its projections again, it could easily return one of the better values. So that hedgehog looks like it might continue to dominate the February landscape.

Birds of Prey has been underwhelming so far, but it’s $167 FML Bucks this week, and Fantasy Movie League projected just $7.9 million. Box Office Pro sees $9.6 and Box Office Report sees $8.5 million, so that could give it some appeal as a value option.

This Week’s Lineup:

Given the cost disparity, I’m going to be a glutton for punishment and take a swing on Birds of Prey again.

Birds of Prey x2

Brahms: The Boy II x6