THREE LOW-BUDGET FLICKS TO COMPETE AGAINST SUPER BOWL

One thing about the weekend box office is certain: For the first time, Daniel Radcliff’s latest movie will not wind up at the end of the year vying for the title of the biggest opening gross of 2012. In fact, it’s not at all certain that The Woman in Black will even land on top this weekend. Competing with the Super Bowl on Sunday and a well-reviewed science fiction movie, Chronicle, on all three days, the film is expected to earn no more than $10-15 million. As of Friday, box office forecasters were giving it a slight edge over Chronicle, starring newcomers Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan and Michael Kelly. (The studios releasing the two low-budget films, CBS Films and Fox respectively, are predicting far more conservative results than the pundits.) A third film, Big Miracle, starring Drew Barrymore as a Greenpeace worker in Alaska mobilizing an Alaskan town to save three ice-trapped whales, is aimed at attracting women and kids who aren’t interested in staying at home to watch the big game. It’s likely to earn $7-9 million, according to forecasters.

UPDATE: Box-office forecasters’ low expectations appeared totally out-of-whack as Friday’s ticket sales came in well above the highest predictions. Chronicle earned an estimated $8.65 million, while Woman in Black took in about $8.3 million. Big Miracle came in on par with forecasts, earning an estimated $2.46 million.