We begin our third Spring Season Box Office prediction game today. We’re keeping the rules from our prior incarnation intact. I can’t think of anything to really improve upon it. The first predictions post will go live at 2pm Central.

This contest begins the weekend of Jan. 3-5, 2014 and continues through the weekend of Apr. 25-27, 2014.

RULES FOR DIVISION ONE: #1 FILMS

This division has a couple of changes.

1. Guess the #1 Film at the U.S. weekend box office – 1 Point
2. Guess how much the #1 Film will make, if it is not also the highest grossing new wide release – 1 Point (closest to the final result)
3. Get your total prediction within one monetary increment of the final total – 1 Point
4. Guess the highest grossing new wide release – 1 Point
5. Guess how much the highest grossing new wide release will earn – 1 Point (closest to the final result)
6. Get your total prediction within one monetary increment of the final total – 1 Point
7. See below for specific increments for predictions.

RULES FOR DIVISION TWO: TOP TEN

This category also has a few changes.

1. Guess which films will place in the Top 10 of the weekend – 1 Point (per correct prediction)
2. Guess in what order the Top 10 of the Weekend will be – 1 Point (per correct position)
3. Guess how much each film will earn – 1 Point (closest to the final result)
4. Get your total prediction within one monetary increment of the final total – 1 Point
5. See below for specific increments for predictions.

RULES FOR DIVISION THREE: FINAL TOTALS

1. Guess the total of each new wide release film will make in its full run at the box office – 1 Point (closest to final result)
2. Get your total prediction within three monetary increments of the final total – 1 Point
3. See below for specific increments for predictions.

RULES FOR DIVISION FOUR: LONGEVITY

1. Guess the total number of weeks each film will spend at #1 – 1 Point per week (only given for films that spend at least 1 week at #1)
2. Guess the total number of weeks each film will spend in the Top Ten – 1 Point per week (only given for films that spend at least 1 week in the Top Ten)
3. You will lose 1 point if you predict a film will spend 1 or more week at #1 or in the Top Ten and the film does not place either at #1 or in the Top Ten as appropraite
4. You will lose 1 point for every two weeks over the final number of weeks your prediction spends in the predicted position.

BOX OFF PREDICTION INCREMENTS

1. $50 million or higher – $5 million increments
2. $25 million to $49 million – $1 million increments
3. $5 million to $24.5 million – $500,000 increments
4. $4.9 million or lower – $100,000 increments

A separate post will appear in one hour where you can put your first week’s predictions together.