This is the best time of the year for movie lovers. Whether you’re looking for epics like Mel Gibson’s epic HACKSAW RIDGE, or  character dramas like Jeff Nichols’ latest, LOVING, there’s something for you at the box office this weekend. But, even if the summer blockbuster season is a few months past us, the studios still have a few tricks up their sleeve with the much-anticipated release of DR. STRANGE and TROLLS. There is no doubt this is a great weekend to go to the movies, the only question is, how will these movies perform at the Box Office?

To find out, researchers at Unanimous A.I. turned to Swarm Artificial Intelligence, a mix of computational algorithms and real input from real people in real time. The process taps the wisdom, insights, and intuitions of human participants as they think together as a closed-loop system, using swarming algorithms to converge on optimized answers.   The mix of human wisdom and software processing has proven to reveal powerful insights (see how Swarm Intelligence predicted every MLB playoff team, plus the World Series matchup and winner here). So, it only made sense to use Swarm AI to predict the fate of these four movies.  All of these predictions took place on Wednesday, November 4th, 2016.

First, the Swarm was asked to ponder DR. STRANGE, an eagerly awaited Marvel movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Previous Marvel movies have broken box office records, so when the Swarm was asked to compare DR. STRANGE to its predecessors, the Swarm’s optimism should carry some serious weight.

The Swarm’s response is made even more interesting when you take a look at the people who made up the group. In this case, the Swarm was composed entirely of college students, and so they should be right in Marvel’s target demographic for DR. STRANGE. And yet, when asked if they planned to see this movie in the next 30 days, this is what the Swarm said.

So, despite the fact that the Swarm itself would be somewhat unlikely to see DR. STRANGE in theaters, it expressed a strong confidence that Marvel’s latest would do just as well as its high-performing predecessors.

Here’s what the Unanimous AI researchers asked the Swarm:

How will Dr. Strange do at the box office vs similar films? Answer: Mild Success

How likely are you to see Dr. Strange in the next 30 days? Answer: Somewhat Unlikely

How would you rate the trailer for Dr. Strange? Answer: 4 stars

Who would you like to see this movie with? Answer: With Friends

Next, the Swarm was asked to consider TROLLS, the new $120M animated feature from Dreamworks about, well, trolls with spiky hair.  Despite being based on a 90s fad toy with a thin background, TROLLS is currently doing quite well on Rotten Tomatoes, and its soundtrack has already yielded one smash hit with Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” So, how would the Swarm AI see Trolls’ chances?

When you’re talking about animated films, there is of course some stiff competition in the “similar films” category. THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS opened with over $100M at the box office, and everything Pixar puts out seems to do incredibly well. But the Swarm is less enthusiastic about its chances. And, not surprisingly for a Swarm of college students who neither have children nor remember the Trolls dad, the Swarm was “very unlikely” to make time to see the movie in theaters and rated the trailer just 2 stars.

How will Trolls do at the box office vs similar films? Answer: Middle of the Road

How likely are you to see Trolls in the next 30 days? Answer: Somewhat Unlikely

How would you rate the trailer for Trolls? Answer: 2 Stars

Who would you like to see Trolls with? Answer: With Family

Next, the Swarm took a look at the trailer for Mel Gibson’s HACKSAW RIDGE, a trailer so powerful that multiple people in the Swarm reported getting “goosebumps” when it was shown. Here is that trailer.

Now that you’ve seen the trailer in question, you might have a sense for why HACKSAW RIDGE was the only film in question the Swarm said it was likely to see in theaters.

How will Hacksaw Ridge do at the box office vs similar films? Answer: Mild Success

How likely are you to see Hacksaw Ridge in the next 30 days? Answer: Somewhat Likely

How would you rate the trailer for Hacksaw Ridge? Answer: 4 Stars

Who would you like to see Hacksaw Ridge with? Answer: With Friends

The last major release this weekend is LOVING, by Jeff Nichols, the director of a number of critically acclaimed films, from 2008’s SHOTGUN STORIES to 2016’s MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. His most recent film follows the case of Loving vs. Virginia, in which the Supreme Court deemed laws prohibiting interracial marriage to be unconstitutional. The trailer for LOVING should give you some insight into why the Swarm AI believed the best way to see the film is on a date!

How will Loving do at the box office vs similar films? Answer: Mild Success

How likely are you to see Loving in the next 30 days? Answer: Very Unlikely

How would you rate the trailer for Loving? Answer: 4 stars

Who would you like to see Loving with? Answer: On a Date

Want to tap into the world’s first Swarm AI? Drop us a note below….