Box office preview: 'Anchorman 2' looks to dominate

At long last, this is the weekend Ron Burgundy fans have been waiting for: Anchorman 2 is out in theaters, and honestly, there's absolutely no competition. Sure, a few great, potentially Oscar-worthy films are finally getting a wide release, but nothing is going to stop the Anchorman juggernaut.

I'll confess, I wasn't really a huge Anchorman fan at first. I'm a full-out drama girl, and Anchorman didn't really appeal. That being said, since this movie came out in 2004, it's grown on me. I don't quote it verbatim like many, but I know the film quite well. Some of my besties are obsessed, and so is my spouse, so of course I'll be seeing Anchorman 2 immediately.

Reviews for Anchorman 2 look promising. At the moment, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues has a 75 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That's really high for a comedy, though I'm not sure whether fans care about critics when it comes to this particular movie. Just for comparison's sake, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy has a 66 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating - so if you're trying to compare, the sequel's playing better.

So we know that Anchorman 2 is going to be the number one movie at the weekend box office. But what about the rest of the offerings? This is one of those times when I'm a little conflicted, because there are no less than three movies I want to try and see in a matter of days. That's just not going to happen, but with American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks both entering wide release this week, I suspect they'll each do quite well (Hustle in particular).

Here's how I think things will shake out:

1. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
3. Frozen (I think this film stays strong through the holidays)
4. American Hustle
5. Saving Mr. Banks

The only other major release this weekend is the family-friendly documentary film Walking with Dinosaurs. It could wind up in the top five, but I suspect the families will opt for Frozen instead. We shall see.

Have you seen Anchorman 2 yet? If so, is it a worthy successor to Anchorman? I'd love to hear what you thought!

Photo courtesy of IFC.com