Note: These predictions are for the three-day weekend.

So far, so good for January 2013. “Texas Chainsaw 3D” kicked things off with a solid $21.7 million start and then “Zero Dark Thirty” followed that up with $24.4 million, but weekend three could be devoid of big numbers with three new releases splitting the big money and “Silver Linings Playbook” snagging a nice chunk, too, thanks to an additional 1,713 theaters.

With “The Last Stand” due out in 2,913 theaters, should it post a per theater average similar to 2011’s “Killer Elite,” it’ll be looking at a $9 million start. Even with Mark Wahlberg on the roster, “Broken City” likely won’t be this year’s “Contraband.” In fact, it might only manage to match last year’s “Man on a Ledge” with about $8 million. However, with “Texas Chainsaw 3D” fading fast, “Mama” has a good shot at pulling in the horror fans eager for more. It won’t come anywhere close to last year’s surprise hit, “The Woman in Black,” but it could take $4,500 per theater, which would give it $12 million, just enough to trump both “Broken City” and “The Last Stand.”

Now the big question is, where will “Silver Linings Playbook” sneak in? It’s already down to a $6,196 per theater average and with the additional theaters that’s bound to go down further and likely to a point that’s just lower than its lowest per theater average yet, weekend six’s $4,801. Should it take $3,500 this time around, it’ll wind up with $8.5 million in total, squeezing right in between “The Last Stand” and “Broken City.” As for “Zero Dark Thirty,” even if it loses 40% of last weekend’s haul, it’ll still be left with $15 million and that’ll be more than enough to reclaim #1.

“A Haunted House” isn’t a horror movie, but it’s a horror movie spoof, so that might be more than enough of a reason for the film to take the genre’s typical 60% weekend one to two hit. Should that be the case, “A Haunted House” will only take another $7 million. While that should leave the door wide open for “Gangster Squad” to climb up a spot, thanks to sour reviews, “The Last Stand,” and “Broken City,” “Gangster Squad” could wind up losing a little over half of its opening weekend profits, which would put it just behind “A Haunted House.”

“Django Unchained,” “Les Misérables,” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” are all losing a big chunk of their screens this weekend, so it’ll come down to how high can “Lincoln” climb and who it’ll knock off the top ten. “Django” was $5 million ahead of “Lincoln” last weekend so even if it drops 45% again, just over $6 million should still earn it that 8th position. However, if “Lincoln” is able to maintain its weekend 10 numbers courtesy of an additional 147 theaters, it’ll post $6 million, taking #9 and leaving “Les Mis” and “The Hobbit” to duke it out for the final spot and, considering “Les Mis” is dropping just 351 theaters as compared to “The Hobbit’s” 689-theater loss, it’ll likely be “Les Mis” for #10 with another $4 million.

Shockya.com Predictions

1. Zero Dark Thirty

2. Mama

3. The Last Stand

4. Silver Linings Playbook

5. Broken City

6. A Haunted House

7. Gangster Squad

8. Django Unchained

9. Lincoln

10. Les Misérables

By Perri Nemiroff (via Box Office Mojo)

Zero Dark Thirty
Zero Dark Thirty

By Perri Nemiroff

Film producer and director best known for her work in movies such as FaceTime, Trevor, and The Professor. She has worked as an online movie blogger and reporter for sites such as CinemaBlend.com, ComingSoon.net, Shockya, and MTV's Movies Blog.

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