Holiday 2014 Forecast: 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb'
<< Back to Holiday 2014 Forecast

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb


Release Date: December 19th

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Family Adventure

Director: Shawn Levy

Writers: David Guion & Michael Handelman

Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Dana Stevens, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ben Kingsley, Rebel Wilson, Rami Malek, Ricky Gervais, Rachael Harris, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs

Studio Description: Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.

Analysis: Eight years after the first Night at the Museum earned a massive $250.9 million, the franchise comes to an end with Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. Will this third outing be able to recreate the success of the previous installments?

Probably not. The second movie, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian earned substantially less than its predecessor (down 29 percent to $177.2 million), which suggests that moviegoers were already tiring of the concept back in 2009. Secret of the Tomb arrives five-and-a-half years later, which is an eternity for any franchise—especially one targeted toward families.

There are two comparable titles that are worth keeping in mind here. After a second outing that disappointed in May, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader moved the Narnia franchise back to December. Unfortunately, it still was off 26 percent from its predecessor. A much harsher comparison can be found in star Ben Stiller's Fockers franchise, where the third outing was down a whopping 47 percent from the franchise high.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb could benefit a bit from the fact that it features the last major role from comedy legend Robin Williams. Still, with tough competition from fresher family titles like Annie and Into the Woods, it would be surprising if this came close to its predecessor's $177.2 million.

Forecast: $120 million

Similar Movies: Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, MIB 3, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Little Fockers, Meet the Fockers, Gulliver's Travels, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Cheaper by the Dozen 2

<< Back to Holiday 2014 Forecast