Box Office Watch: 'New Year's Eve' Ringing in the Holiday Early
New Line and Warner Bros.' s New Year's Eve is on course to gross $6 million to $7 million in its first day of play at the domestic box office, putting it at No. 1.
Director Garry Marshall's $56 million star-studded ensemble pic is expected to open in the $20 million range for the weekend, in line with pre-release tracking. While that's far less than the $72 million bow of Marshall's Valentine's Day over the four-day Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend in 2010, Warner Bros. expects the film to have an especially strong multiple and play through New Year's Day since it's the only holiday romantic comedy.
Off to a sluggish start is David Gordon Green's R-rated comedy The Sitter, headlining Jonah Hill in his first starring vehicle. Early returns show the 20th Century Fox pic grossing roughly $3 million on Friday for a weekend debut in the $7.5 million range, less than expected.
The Sitter, which cost under $25 million to produce, is tracking strongest among younger males, who have been notoriously absent from the multiplex in recent months. Martin Scorsese's 3D family friendly film Hugo was holding its own on Friday as it continued to roll out, upping its theater count from 1,840 to 2,600.
