2025 is off to a slow start at the box office, but that's true for most years. January is not exactly a marquee month; in fact, it's usually a window for studios to reject films they have less confidence in. we get the occasional hit like Liam Neeson's Taken, but these are more the exception than the rule. As January gives way to February, however, we should look to greener pastures. Leading the charge will be the new sci-fi horror film Companion, which looks set to close this year's January releases on a high note.

Hailing from Warner Bros., first-time director Drew Hancock's Companion is currently eyeing an opening in the $10 million to $15 million range when it arrives next weekend. Treasury Theory. SB was frugal with this one, which carries a price tag of just $10 million. Even with a significant marketing spend, opening in that range will set Companion up for success out of the gate. The only big question is that there will be a lot of competition for the horror crowd: Steven Soderbergh's "The Presence" will be only a week away from its release; slasher "Heart Eyes" arrives next weekend; and "The Monkey" will also be around the corner.

Working in favor of this film will be a positive buzz. /Film Chris Evangelista called Companion "the first great movie of 2025" in his review 9 out of 10. He's not alone, as he currently has an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If audiences agree, it should help give the film a long opening weekend ahead, which will go a long way in the face of stiff competition in the genre.

An opening in that $10-15 million range would put "Companion" in the same space as last year's "Speak No Evil" remake ($11.4 million opening / $76.7 million worldwide). If things go really well, we could be looking at something closer to Longlegs ($22.4m opening / $126.9m worldwide). Even on the low end, we're certainly seeing a hit.

While the studio is wisely keeping plot details under wraps to maintain a sense of mystery, "Companion" is billed as "a new kind of love story." Generally, it focuses on a highly advanced female robot who causes chaos. Jack Quaid ("The Boys") and Sophie Thatcher ("Yellow Jackets") lead the cast.

Another thing WB is leaning towards is that this one comes from the producers of Barbarian and specifically that film's director Zach Kreger. WB and New Line quickly got into bed with Kreger after his 2022 horror film became an unexpected hit. signing a contract with the director, as well as taking away the rights to his new film "Weapons". Wisely, they're using a similar playbook for this one as they did for "Barbarian," leaning into the mystery of it all.

While horror has been a very reliable genre in the pandemic era, things have been a bit hit/miss lately. Blumhouse's "The Wolf Man" recently disappointed with an opening under $11 million despite projections suggesting it would open closer to $20 million. In that case, the reviews and word of mouth were hard to overcome. These things happen. Fortunately, with the information we have in front of us, it looks like Hancock's debut will avoid such an outcome.

Companion arrives in theaters on January 31, 2025.