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Weekend box office: Why 'In the Heart of the Sea' won't stay afloat

The Ron Howard film 'Heart of the Sea' debuted this past weekend but didn't make a splash. The final 'Hunger Games' movie topped the box office once again. Why was 'Sea''s opening so mediocre? 

'In the Heart of the Sea' stars Chris Hemsworth (r.) and Cillian Murphy (l.).

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/AP

December 14, 2015

Director Ron Howard鈥檚 drama 鈥淚n the Heart of the Sea鈥 did not set sail auspiciously this past weekend, with 鈥淪ea鈥 placing second at the box office with a domestic gross of $11 million, coming in second to the final installment of 鈥淗unger Games.鈥澛

That's not a bad first weekend for most films. But it's weak for an expensive Ron Howard film.聽

鈥淭he Hunger Games: Mockingjay 鈥 Part 2鈥 grossed more than $11 million this past weekend, which was enough to give it a victory. Coming in third was the Pixar movie 鈥淭he Good Dinosaur,鈥 which, like "Mockingjay," opened over Thanksgiving weekend. "Dinosaur" took in more than $10 million this past weekend.聽

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The 鈥淩ocky鈥 movie 鈥淐reed鈥 came in fourth with more than $10 million after having opened in late November. The horror movie 鈥淜rampus,鈥 which opened in early December, grossed $8 million, placing fifth.

This is, of course, the weekend before the new 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 movie 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens鈥 is being released and so that most likely explains why 鈥淪ea鈥 was one of the few "big" films to released this weekend ahead of the juggernaut.

December is usually a crowded time for high-profile releases. Last year, such movies as the Ridley Scott movie 鈥淓xodus: Gods and Kings," the final 鈥淗obbit鈥 movie 鈥淭he Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,鈥 and the musical 鈥淎nnie鈥 all bowed before Christmas.

This year, Thanksgiving was a busy time, with 鈥淗unger,鈥 鈥淒inosaur,鈥 and 鈥淐reed鈥 debuting. But studios have mostly stayed away from the weeks before and after the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 arrival. 鈥淪ea鈥 opened this weekend and the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy 鈥淪isters鈥 and the animated film 鈥淎lvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip鈥 will be opening next weekend. But apart from awards season fare, many of which are in limited release, there are few new movies.聽

Studios are mostly waiting until Dec. 25, the week after 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 comes out. That鈥檚 when such films as the new David O. Russell movie 鈥淛oy,鈥 the Will Ferrell comedy 鈥淒addy鈥檚 Home,鈥 and the sports drama 鈥淐oncussion鈥 will debut.聽

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As for the fortunes of 鈥淪ea,鈥 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 debuting later this week will most likely not do it any favors at the box office in the coming weekends.

"There's no question that this weekend was affected by the anticipation of 'Star Wars,'" senior media analyst for box office data firm Rentrak . "You have countless moviegoers poised and ready to hit the multiplex later this week. We're on the cusp of an earth-shattering weekend at the box office."

But why did 鈥淪ea鈥 not make much of a financial wave this weekend, even though 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 hasn't arrived yet? Negative reviews for the movie, which tells the story of a whaling ship that is destroyed by a whale in the nineteenth century and stars Chris Hemsworth, probably didn鈥檛 help. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer wrote that the movie is "serviceable but mostly unstirring."

The fact that it had a low opening also gets more attention because anyone who saw previews saw that "Sea" is filled with costly effects. Such movies need to gross more than, say, a quiet drama to succeed.

Expectations are also higher for veteran Howard than they would be for another director. He鈥檚 previously been behind such box office successes as 鈥淎pollo 13,鈥 鈥淎 Beautiful Mind,鈥 and 鈥淭he Da Vinci Code,鈥 though that last movie most likely benefited from anticipation for the adaptation of a popular book.