Can R-rated ‘Office Christmas Party’ unseat Disney’s ‘Moana’ at the box office?

Youth-oriented fantasies like “Moana,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and “Doctor Strange” have dominated the box office the last few weeks, but now there’s a chance for misbehaving adults to climb the charts.

“Office Christmas Party,” a raunchy R-rated comedy from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures, is expected to collect about $20 million in ticket sales from the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, according to people who have reviewed pre-release audience surveys.

That might be enough to topple Disney’s “Moana,” which has enjoyed two straight weekends at No. 1 and could take in an additional $16 million or more this time around (“Moana” has hauled in $120 million domestically). However, Paramount is being much more cautious in its projections for the $45-million movie, predicting a bow of $13 million to $15 million in its first three days in theaters.

The cinema business is expected to remain slow overall this weekend as Hollywood awaits the Dec. 16 debut of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Nonetheless, “Office Christmas Party,” which follows a company holiday bash that gets way out of hand, should appeal to grownups seeking comic debauchery at the multiplex. Another factor in its favor is an ensemble cast featuring well-liked stars such as Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller, Jennifer Aniston and Kate McKinnon.

If all goes as predicted, “Office Christmas Party” will count as a win for Paramount, which has struggled this year despite enjoying robust receipts from the recent Amy Adams alien invasion drama “Arrival.”

Meanwhile, the Jessica Chastain thriller “Miss Sloane” will expand nationwide after a two-week run in select locations, but probably won’t do big business. The political drama from Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp, about a top lobbyist who goes to war against the gun industry, is expected to take in a lackluster $5 million or less Friday through Sunday.

In limited release, Lionsgate will unveil its critically acclaimed musical “La La Land” in five Los Angeles and New York theaters ahead of its nationwide roll-out later this month. The ode to classic Hollywood song-and-dance films, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, is hoping for a strong initial debut, helped by substantial awards buzz and a more feel-good vibe than the typical Oscar fare.

“La La Land” will enter a growing field of prestigious Oscar hopefuls, including the Casey Affleck drama “Manchester By the Sea” and Natalie Portman’s “Jackie,” which have both done impressive business so far. “Jackie,” starring Portman as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, opened last weekend with a strong $279,000 from five theaters for a per-theater average of about $56,000. “Manchester” has amassed $4.3 million in its limited release, which grew to 156 theaters last week.

ryan.faughnder@latimes.com

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