Fox And Universal Expected To Fend Off New Releases From Lions Gate, Sony And STX At Box Office

Thus far in 2016, both Twenty-First Century Fox Inc FOXA and Comcast Corporation CMCSA's Universal have been the big winners at the box office. While we are only in the first weeks of the New Year, both studios have already made a significant mark on consumers and investors.

Fox And Universal Are At The Forefront

With the "Star Wars" craze beginning to come back down to Earth, the door has opened again for a new film to win the box office race. The first to try to capitalize was Fox's "The Revenant," which may not have beat "The Force Awakens," during its first weekend of wide release, but certainly gave it a run for pole position.

Last week, Universal's "Ride Along 2" did manage to de-throne the champ, and now finds itself in a neck-and-neck race to hold the crown. With the golden halo of 12 Oscar nominations, "The Revenant" could defy the odds and finally top the box office in its third week of wide release. However, the favorite remains the "buddy cop" comedy from Comcast's main film division.

Related Link: Disney's "Star Wars" Shift Could Impact Fox And Time Warner's 2017 Tentpoles

Step Aside, BB-8: There Are Other Interesting Stories Here

While Walt Disney Co DIS's "Force Awakens" is expected to again place third, analysts are interested to see how new entries from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (USA) LGF, Sony Corp (ADR) SNE and upstart STX (unlisted) will shake up the rankings.

Of the three, Lions Gate has the hottest hand with "Dirty Grandpa." Not to be confused with the Johnny Knoxville comedy "Bad Grandpa," this one pairs Zac Efron with Robert De Niro on a raunchy road trip.

Estimates range anywhere from $10 million to $15 million in opening weekend sales.

Following Lions Gate, Sony Is Still In The Race

Sony is expected to place below that with its sci-fi film "The 5th Wave." Rising star Chloe Grace Moretz headlines the movie, which is based on the young adult novel by Rick Yancey. "Wave" is looking at a $10 million to $13 million haul, with Sony estimating a more conservative $8 million debut.

Eerie Wildcard

STX is the real wildcard, as its horror film "The Boy" isn't expected to do well; however, with a $10 million production cost, it doesn't have to break any records. Why this is interesting is because director William Brent Bell's previous film "The Devil Inside" got walloped by critics and audiences, but still surprised and made $33 million its opening weekend in this timeframe back in 2012. Produced for just $1 million, that's a massive return on investment. Horror films are unpredictable and all real rationale has the film, fronted by "The Walking Dead" star, Lauren Cohan, opening between $8 million and $10 million, but stranger things have happened.