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SALT LAKE CITY -- An incredible upset happened this past week. "The Devil Inside," which was expected to remain out of the top five, managed to dethrone "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" for first place.
Considering some fairly negative early reviews and a budget of less than $1 million, the meteoric rise of "The Devil Inside" is nothing short of phenomenal. This supernatural horror film has found wide appeal as few small productions of its budget can.
Had "The Devil Inside" not broached the top five list, all of the other rankings last week would have been accurate. Last week's list correctly guessed the sequence of the remaining films. In second was "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," followed by "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows." Fourth place saw "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" came in fifth. "War Horse" fell off the list into sixth place.
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This week sees three releases in wide distribution. The first, which hardly needs introduction, is the re-release of Disney's hand-drawn "Beauty and the Beast" in 3-D. The second, "Contraband," is an R-rated remake of a 2008 Icelandic action film, "Reykjavik-Rotterdam." Rounding out the list of new releases is "Joyful Noise," a musical comedy featuring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton.
The predictions for the weekend of Jan. 13 are as follows:
1. "Beauty and the Beast (3-D)"
The last time "Beauty" had an opening weekend in theaters was 1991. During its first weekend in wide release, "Beauty" took third place with $9.6 million, edged out of first by "Cape Fear" and "The Addams Family." "Beauty" never made the top of the list during its first theatrical run.
Fast-forward 20 years and the market for nostalgia is clearly strong. Last year's re-release of "The Lion King" in 3-D netted it two weeks in first place. Its drawing power shocked everyone and was so strong that its planned two-week limited release had to be extended several times. It is anticipated that "Beauty" will follow suit, finally earning its place at the top of the list for the first time in its history.
In addition to those who saw "Beauty" in theaters the first time, an entire generation of moviegoers who never had a chance to experience "Beauty" on the big screen will finally have their opportunity to partake in the enchantment and magic as theatrical guests of this award-winning masterpiece.
2. "Joyful Noise"
This feel-good comedy has the cast necessary to draw a sizable crowd. With a PG-13 rating, it should be able to grab a strong footing in the rankings. Being newer than "Devil," it is on track to slip in just ahead of "Devil."
3. "The Devil Inside"
Having proven itself by outstripping "Mission Impossible" by more than $10 million last weekend, "Devil" seems poised to continue doing well. Facing stiff competition this weekend given the new releases, it is destined to dip slightly but still retain a comfortable hold on the top-five list.
4. "Contraband"
"Contraband" will face a challenge as it tries to work its way into the top. Given its wide release, it threatens "Mission Impossible" and is anticipated to come in slightly ahead.
5. "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol"
While "Mission Impossible" has done remarkably well, it has finally lost its place on the top of the list. Almost a month old now, this week could be its swan song as a wave of new releases gears up to hit next week.
Joseph Irvine is an avid entrepreneur who received recognition in Newsweek for charter school admissions lottery software he wrote and distributes, demoed at: youtu.be/DFvthOQbpt4. Joseph is currently living in Madison, Ala.
