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SALT LAKE CITY -- Last week's predictions were dead on for all five spots. This was especially impressive given the number of new releases that were introduced at theaters last week.
As anticipated, "Underworld Awakening" came in first by a healthy margin over "Red Tails." The front-runner from the prior weekend, "Contraband," slipped two places to third. "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" had a solid debut in fourth place, with "Beauty and the Beast" barely eking out a fifth-place victory over "Haywire."
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This week sees another slew of new releases. First is "The Grey," a thriller starring Liam Neeson. Despite an R rating, this film looks to have major drawing power given Neeson's past successes. "The Grey" portrays the adventurous plight of a group of colleagues who crash into the snowy Alaskan wilderness and are forced to fight a pack of wolves in order to survive.
Oscar-nominated "The Descendants," featuring George Clooney, will expand into a larger number of theaters this weekend, bolstered by the recent nomination. Despite having been out for a while, the renewed attention will likely push it higher on the list. It is unlikely to breach the top five, however.
Action-comedy "One for the Money" is set to debut with a PG-13 rating. Lastly, "Man on a Ledge," a thriller about an accused criminal who threatens suicide, will launch this weekend as well.
The predictions for the weekend of Jan. 27 are:
1. "The Grey"
"The Grey" will have an intense battle to wage against "Underworld" for first place this week. While "Underworld" did remarkably well last week, it is likely to slip as its audience is drawn away by newer releases.
2. "Underworld Awakening"
Having rendered an excellent performance last weekend, "Underworld" should remain popular enough to secure a second-place spot. Since it is not being replaced by any new horror films, "Underworld" will still have significant drawing power.
3. "Man on a Ledge"
Despite a fairly predictable premise, "Man on a Ledge" looks set to make the list. Potentially hindered by its lack of major stars and somewhat trite plot, "Man on a Ledge" will not be able to aptly compete for a top spot.
4. "Red Tails"
"Red Tails" was not fortunate enough to garner a first-place ranking, but did do better than expected last week, beating out "Contraband." This historical drama should remain on the top five list in spite of some lukewarm reviews.
5. "One for the Money"
"One for the Money" will likely break the top five given its new release status, but it is not predicted to soar to the top. The popularity of "One for the Money" should be propelled by the book of the same title, pushing it ahead of "Beauty and the Beast," "Contraband" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."
Joseph Irvine is currently a self-employed engineer in Madison, Ala. A graduate of Utah State University, he hopes to pursue a degree in law at BYU in the near future.
