New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Kim Hollis: Goosebumps, the adaptation of the R.L. Stine books aimed at a family audience, earned $23.6 million this weekend. What do you think of this result?

Felix Quinonez: I think it's a good but not great opening. I know it beat Sony's predictions by a lot, but I have a feeling they were lowballing it to make the opening seem more impressive. It should see a profit, but I wouldn't consider it a big hit.

Edwin Davies: This is perfectly fine. I'm not sure if it's a good enough result to build a franchise on (though considering the film's "let's just throw every book into one movie" approach, that might not be on the cards anyway) but for a film that's been mooted for a while and which comes with a mid-$50 million budget, this is decent.

Michael Lynderey: I predicted $24 million in my monthly forecast (see, I can't be wrong all the time), but even so, I'm a little surprised that it opened this high. I wasn't sure that the books still had that many fans out there, given all the endless variety of literary fads that have come since. I remember reading the Goosebumps series fervently myself, and it seemed to me like the hype had sort of dissipated in the late 1990s, when I was in my early teens. As is, the number is certainly very respectable (as is winning this crowded weekend against a lot of high-profile competition, including Hotel Transylvania 2). I think Goosebumps has a decent shot at something like $80 million, and maybe even a sequel. And if I may offer a bit of a review, the movie felt like monster overload, so they should focus more on exploring a few choice creatures for the next one instead of throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. I look forward to it.

Ryan Kyle: Sony should be very happy with this "best case scenario"-result. Assuming it has a semblance of legs over the course of the next two weeks, especially with Halloween around the corner, $70 million isn't outside of the realm of possibility. I think the result is a win for Sony, who potentially has another kid-friendly fall franchise with this film. If it wasn't for Jack Black starring and the budget being $58 million , I wouldn't be surprised if Sony tried to make this a perennial outing ala Saw/Paranormal Activity, but for the grade school set.

Kim Hollis: Bridge of Spies, the Steven Spielberg-directed drama with writing by the Coen Brothers and Tom Hanks as its star, earned $15.4 million this weekend. What do you think about its box office debut and its Oscar prospects?

Felix Quinonez: While it's certainly not a smash, I think it's a good opening. I don't think this is the type pf movie that inspires people to rush out to see on the first night. But when you consider its glowing reviews and "A" cinemascore, I think it should have very strong legs. And when you factor in its relatively low budget, I believe this will be a winner for everyone involved.

Continued:       1       2