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Jason Barney: This is the sort of buzz that Exodus needed but is not getting. Paramount invested wisely with this one and their investment is going to pay off handsomely. Earning $7 million during opening weekend isn't huge, but compared to what it cost to bring the project to screen, it will be seeing a profit very quickly. The Rotten Tomatoes score of 89% fresh will be more than enough to get people talking, and I would expect significant interest during late December.

Kim Hollis: It’s a solid start for a film that should play well throughout the holiday season thanks to those reviews and a general feeling of goodwill toward Chris Rock. He’s had a really good publicity campaign for this film, with fantastic interviews that have generated some positive attention. People root for guys like Rock, so it’s an easy movie to get behind.

David Mumpower: I had hoped for more from Top Five. Chris Rock is an inconsistent box office draw, but good Chris Rock generally draws a lot of money. This may be his best film ever, at least according to reviewers other than Mr. Huntley. So, the fact that the box office was so modest is a bit troubling. I know from private conversations that Tracy Morgan's tragic situation wreaked havoc with the marketing, and I have to believe that plays a part. It is only available in 979 locations, which means further expansion is still in play. A per-location of $7,043 isn't great, though.

Max Braden: I think there's a little more to this than just another Chris Rock comedy. Whether or not the movie ultimately is funny, the trailer came across as something more interesting than Grown Ups 2 or ~Afro Circus!~ When I think of limited release Chris Rock movies, I go back to Good Hair, which was a really interesting and funny documentary. Given the turmoil in Ferguson and Staten Island lately, and the interviews that Chris Rock has been giving about being black and the business of Hollywood, I think there was a hint that this movie might be some sort of message to go with the comedy. I think that could have been the draw that put up a solid per-theater average. If buzz doesn't help the movie it might falter, but I could see Rock coming out of December seen as a success with this movie.

Kim Hollis: The Reese Witherspoon film Wild expanded to 116 venues this weekend, allowing the box office to increase 152% to $1.5 million and placing it in the top 10. What do you think about its future prospects?

Matthew Huntley: Wild is a good film with some great moments, but it's not a wholly great film, at least not in my opinion. Still, I understand why it's doing so well because it is, indeed, a crowd-pleaser, and I believe it has the potential to reach upwards of $25 million, depending on how many theaters it expands to. This will help give the marketplace some extra depth and variation over the coming months, and that's definitely a good thing.

Edwin Davies: This strikes me as very similar to Jean-Marc Vallee's last film, Dallas Buyers Club, in that they are both true-life stories, driven by a strong central performance and which treat a typically Oscar-bait subject in a way which is a little earthier. If Wild remains an awards contender, something which seems likely considering Witherspoon's nomination for a Golden Globe, then I could easily see it winding up in the $20-30 million range since great, award-nominated performances tend to be an easy sell to audiences.

Kim Hollis: It seems like an okay number. Maybe not great, but a good enough start that it should do well throughout the holiday season and into awards season. With so few great roles for women, I think Reese Witherspoon is a pretty strong candidate for an Oscar nomination, which will give Wild even more traction.

David Mumpower: I absolutely believe that Reese Witherspoon is going to get nominated for Wild, and I would not be surprised if the movie itself receives a nomination as well. To my mind, discussing its box office is almost missing the point. Nobody will ever remember how well this film did financially, just whether it was a legitimate awards contender or not. Right now, I expect it to be, but a lot of critics I know like Mr. Huntley agree that it's over-hyped.

Max Braden: I see only two reasons why people would go see this movie: the source material, of which I'm unfamiliar but am aware of its best seller status, and Reese. Everyone loves Reese. The Golden Globe nominations were announced just in time to name her in the Actress, Drama category, but I think her audience would have gone to see the movie regardless. I see this as the Promised Land film of 2014; that one starred Matt Damon and the issue of natural gas fracking and didn't make nearly as much money as the gas companies have, but the connection I see is a project that tries a little too hard to be dramatic and earnest. I expect Wild will have decent audience response but not come away with any serious award contention.

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