Box office: New movies likely no match for ‘Spectre,’ ‘Peanuts’

James Bond and Snoopy are poised to keep their hold on the U.S. box office for a second weekend, despite three new movies hitting theaters across the country.

The 007 film “Spectre,” the 24th in the super-spy franchise, is expected to add about $35 million to its total in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, while “The Peanuts Movie” should collect an additional $25 million, according to people who have seen pre-release audience tracking surveys.

Both opened last weekend to robust ticket sales, injecting some much-needed life into the domestic box office.

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The three newcomers -- “The 33,” “Love the Coopers” and “My All American” -- are expected to gross less than $10 million each. That would leave a clear runway for the holdovers.

“Spectre,” which has amassed nearly $300 million worldwide so far, is all but certain to yield the No. 1 spot when “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2” opens Nov. 20. “Peanuts” has grossed about $50 million worldwide.

“They are very formidable one-two punch, Bond and [Charlie] Brown,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at box-office data firm Rentrak. “Those two movies kicked off the unofficial start of the holiday movie season.”

The rest of the field is likely to do modest business as the movie industry waits for the widely anticipated opening of Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games” finale. The post-summer box office has been a roller coaster, with big hits such as “The Martian” followed by flops including “Pan” and “The Last Witch Hunter.”

“The 33,” a Hollywood dramatization of the 2010 Chilean mining accident, should lead the new releases with $8 million to $10 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to analysts. Antonio Banderas stars in the drama about 33 people trapped underground for 69 days, which cost $25 million to make. Warner Bros., which has had a difficult run at the multiplex as of late, is distributing the film that was produced by Alcon Entertainment.

The movie has already opened in Latin American countries -- including Chile, Mexico and Venezuela -- and it’s taken in $12.7 million in overseas box-office receipts so far. In the U.S., it’s expected to track best among grown-up Latino moviegoers.

“Love the Coopers,” a feel-good Christmas-themed comedy, should do $6 million to $8 million in domestic ticket sales through Sunday. Its studio, CBS Films, releasing in partnership with Lionsgate, hopes the film will play well among older women and attract holiday cinema attendees through Thanksgiving weekend. Older crowds are more likely than their younger counterparts to see movies in the second or third weeks in release.

The comedy about four generations coming together for a Christmas Eve gathering stars Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms and other well-known actors. It cost less than $18 million to make.

“My All American” will bring old-school pigskin storytelling back to the multiplex with the true story of University of Texas football star Freddie Steinmark and his battle with cancer. Clarius Entertainment is releasing the inspirational drama in about 1,500 theaters, where it’s expected to generate around $3 million.

Angelina Jolie Pitt’s Universal Pictures drama “By the Sea” is also opening in 10 theaters. That makes this an unusual weekend for Hollywood -- three high-profile movies opening this Friday have female directors. In addition to Jolie Pitt, Patricia Riggen directed “The 33” and Jessie Nelson helmed “Love the Coopers.”

Follow Ryan Faughnder on Twitter for more entertainment business coverage: @rfaughnder