Fantasy Movie League: Is Spider-Man the Best Value?


We’re past the Fourth of July, and we’ll likely see the tide of blockbuster summer releases begin to ebb a bit. While next week will offer The Lion King, this weekend offers only two new releases, and neither is likely to make a run at Spider-Man for the top spot. But more on that in a minute.

Last week Spider-Man was in daily scoring, but since it was released on Tuesday, and released to record hauls the three days before the traditional weekend, I suspected it wasn’t the best option to anchor a Cineplex. And it wasn’t. The best anchor was Toy Story 4 x3, which I hit. I also played a screen of Aladdin, which was the Best Value, but not enough of them, so I fell about $8 million off the pace. Close, but not quite there. Maybe this week will be better.

There are two new films entering the competition this week, but Spider-Man figures to still be at the top. But is the web-slinger the best value? That remains to be seen. 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 Stuber, a comedy led by Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista. It looks like it could be pretty funny, but the critical score is 43 percent, which isn’t encouraging. It’s priced at $213 FML Bucks, third most in the game, which is in line with projections. Fantasy Movie League projects just $12.8 million, which puts it in fourth. But Box Office Pro sees $11.9 million and Box Office Report sees just $11 million. This doesn’t feel like a good bet for value, or even laughs at this point.
The only other new release is the disaster movie Crawl. It’s set during a hurricane in Florida when a killer croc comes after a group of folks trying to evacuate. This kind of monster movie is a summer staple, and the cousin to the shark film. It doesn’t have a critical score, but it’s a safe bet it will be low and no one will be bothered by critical reviews for this kind of film. The film is $204 FML Bucks, fourth most, and projected at $15.8 million. But Box Office Pro sees $10.5 million and Box Office Report sees $14 million. That gives it a wide range and makes it a bit of a gamble in terms of value.

The Search for the Best Value:

So if the new releases aren’t exactly thrilling, where does the value come from. Spider-Man: Far From Home figures to be the top film of the week, and it’s priced that way at $588 FMl Bucks. Fantasy Movie League projects $43.6 million, but they’re the lowest. Box Office Pro goes to $48.4 million, while Box Office Report sees $48 million. And there’s always a chance, against lesser competition, that it flies even higher. That could present some value, even despite the cost.

The same is true of Toy Story 4, which was the top anchor last year. This week it’s priced at $258 FML Bucks, second most, and it’s projected in second place. Fantasy Movie League projected $18.5 million, while Box Office Pro sees $21.8 million and Box Office Report sees $23 million. That gives it a good deal of appeal as a possible anchor and a value, especially as it bested its projections last week. Another possible low-end value is Annabelle Comes Home, priced at $63 with a projection of $4.3 million by Fantasy Movie League. But Box Office Pro sees $5.3 million and Box Office Report sees $5.2 million.

This Week’s Lineup:

I’m riding Toy Story 4 for value again this week.

Toy Story 4 x3
Annabelle Comes Home x3
Men in Black International
Child’s Play

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Now Playing

Image
  It was an interesting week for new releases in theaters. Below is my take on the two big theatrical films from the weekend. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Boy Kills World (Theaters) Starring : Bill Skarsgard, Jessica Rothe, Famke Janssen, Brett Gellman, and Michelle Dockery Synopsis : We have seen a lot of action films this year. Many have featured violent sequences, but some have been more artful than others. The new film, Boy Kills World, provides plenty of violence. It’s right there in the title. But where it falls short is in building something compelling beyond the killing spree. We’re introduced to a Boy (Skarsgard) early in the film. He tells us that his world is ruled by the Van Der Koy family, whose head, Hilda (Janssen) keeps the people in line through an annual Culling, where she kills “enemies.” Our protagonist’s mother and sister were among her victims. The Boy barely survived; saved by the Shaman (Yayan Ru...
Read more

Fall TV Roundup, Week 16

Image
  It’s Christmas week, and you might find yourself looking for some distractions in the form of new shows to check out. But which are worth checking out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new shows this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: American Auto, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC (Premiered December 13) About: A lot was made of the fact NBC, former home of Must-See TV, launched a schedule this Fall with no sitcoms. NBC isn’t planning to do the same in the winter, and they got a jump start to close the year, offering two-episode previews of a pair of new sitcoms that will begin their normal runs in January. The first, American Auto , comes from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer and centers on a new CEO (Ana Gasteyer) at a car company. She doesn’t come from the world of cars but is trying to effect positive changes. I thought the first two episodes were funny and definitely filled the Superstore vib...
Read more

Now Playing

Image
  It was a solid week for new releases, including my favorite animated film of the year. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.  Brats (Hulu) Synopsis : From Andrew McCarthy, this new documentary takes a look at the infamous Brat Pack. The film features interviews with the members as they look back at the title that branded them and helped define some of their career. As a member of the group, McCarthy brings a unique perspective. Often the interviews, with actors such as Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Timothy Hutton, and Demi Moore, among others, feels more like old friends catching up. There’s a sweetness and a lightness to the documentary that is incredibly appealing. The film does a good job of capturing the highs and lows, and helping these actors and actresses give an account of what the pressure of that time—and these high-profile films—meant in their lives and their careers. As a child of the 1980s, I was fascinating by t...
Read more