By Chris Kavan - 01/01/15 at 11:03 AM CT
So we ended 2014 and a nice high note with The Hobbit, Unbroken and Into the Woods providing a much-needed boost. The year might not have matched expectations, but it was still a pretty good year overall. Now that we've bid goodbye to 2014, we welcome in 2015. However, those hoping things would start off with a bang will have to wait awhile. There is only one film opening in wide release after the New Year's holiday, and I don't see it as being a huge draw for audiences. That being said, the holdovers should continue to provide some spark at the box office in the meantime.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2: ANGEL OF DEATH Thanks to some success in the past, January has become the new dumping ground for horror movies. It has met with some success (especially amongst movies that traditionally have a small budget), but that doesn't mean the quality is always good. I haven't seen the first Woman in Black, though it did okay enough to warrant a sequel, obviously. What I do remember is that film starred Daniel Radcliffe in one of his first films following the massive Harry Potter series. It was a kind of moody horror - a slow burn if you will. This sequel looks like it follows a similar patter, though I think we're going to get a more traditional horror film out of it. Also, it takes place 40 years later - so I'm sure none of the principal cast is returning. In fact, most of the faces look are new or unknown, save for British actress Helen McCrory. Taking everything into account, I think this is going to be a touch sell over the weekend. It will probably open pretty low (I would be surprised if it hits top five in fact) and won't provide much spark to the new year. I have a feeling the box office is going to look an awful lot like it did last weekend.
I don't foresee and big surprises this weekend - the top five should pretty much mirror what we saw last week. But, who knows, maybe fans of horror can deliver a new year surprise. We'll find out this Sunday.
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