Four new films open and one film expands from limited to wide release over the four day Labor Day weekend. First up we have Vin Diesel returning to form with his latest action pic, Babylon A.D. It has been 4 years since his last action epic and his fan base is ready to see him kick ass again. The film is rated PG-13, unlike its closest competitor, Death Race which is rated R, so that should help its earning potential. I think Babylon A.D. should gross about $12M over the four day span. Next we have the comedy spoof, Disaster Movie. This movie will mostly appeal to teenage boys and should perform pretty well this weekend. I would expect Disaster Movie to make $9M this weekend. Traitor starring Don Cheadle and Guy Pierce opened on Wednesday to mixed reviews and should see a weekend gross of $8M with a 6 day total of $11M. Yet another comedy enters the fray this weekend, MGM’s R rated College. Awareness isn’t that high for this movie and it should gross about $3.5M over the 4 day frame barely making the top 10. Hamlet...

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The Ben Stiller action/comedy Tropic Thunder just barely held on to the top spot this weekend with the House Bunny packing some serious heat. Thunder grossed $16M bringing its total to $65M with The House Bunny hot on its heels with a much better than expected $15M.

This weekend, 4 new films open in wide release. First up is the action film Death Race starring Jason Statham. This is the  newcomer that has the best chance of opening at the top of the box office, but I don’t think it will. Death Race should make about $12M. Next we have the Rainn Wilson comedy The Rocker. This film should see a weekend gross of $3M, with a 5 day take (it opens on Wednesday) of about $5M. Also this weekend, Ice Cube stars in the inspirational, sports film The Longshots. This film has no real buzz, and its chances of being a box office hit are… well… a long shot. Opening in 2000 theatres, The Longshots should make about $4M. Next we have the Anna Faris comedy, The House Bunny. There are plenty of comedies playing right now, so I don’t think this one is going to make much of an impact. I’m guessing about $11.5M for The House Bunny this weekend. Also opening in limited release (90 theatres) this weekend is the Sundance darling, Hamlet 2. Reviews have been great for this comedy farce and it should...

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The Dark Knight was finally knocked from the top spot this weekend after 4 weeks as the #1 movie in America.  After 5 weeks, the new Batman flick now sits at #2 on the all time domestic blockbusters list, with a total cume of $471M.  Newcomer, Tropic Thunder took the #1 spot this weekend with a healthy take of $25.8M and a 5 day total of $36.8M. 

This weekend offers moviegoers six new films to choose from. First up is the Ben Stiller comedy/action film Tropic Thunder. Tropic Thunder looks hysterical and the reviews have been mostly positive. However, I don't know if audiences really want to see Jack Black and Ben Stiller running around a jungle with machine guns.  I think Tropic could gross $23M this weekend for a 5 day take (it opens on Wednesday) of $34M. Next we have Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the first ever animated Star Wars film. Reviews haven’t been too kind but I don’t think that should make much of a difference to the fan base. Poor reviews certainly didn’t hurt Episode I or II at the box office. I think that most people are underestimating how this movie will perform and I don’t understand why. Every father who is a Star Wars fan (there are many of us) will be taking their kids to see this. I know I am.  I think The Clone Wars will be at the top of the box office this weekend, grossing $24M. Mirrors, the R rated horror film, starring Kiefer Sutherland...

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Two films will try to knock The Dark Knight off its #1 spot this weekend, producer Judd Apatow’s stoner action comedy, Pineapple Express and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Pineapple stars Seth Rogen (also co writer) and James Franco, as two potheads who witness a murder and then are forced to go on the run. Judd Apatow has become the king of comedies producing such films as The 40 Year Old Virgin, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and this summers, Step Brothers. Seth Rogen became a comedy all star with the one, two punch of last years hit comedies, Knocked Up and Superbad (both also produced by Mr. Apatow), and should continue his success with Pineapple. Then there’s James Franco, who is getting incredible buzz for his role as a stoner/pot dealer in this movie. In fact, word is that he’s as good as Brad Pitt was in True Romance, the best portrayal of a stoner ever (in my opinion). Opening on a Wednesday, Pineapple will gross $28M over the weekend, with a 5 day take of $42M.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling...

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It was a tight race for the #1 spot this weekend, but as I predicted, The Dark Knight continued its reign for the third weekend in a row, just edging out the latest installment of The Mummy franchise. See the chart...

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This weekend moviegoers are offered two new movies, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Swing Vote. The Mummy is the third installment in the franchise and is the first one in 7 years. I myself am a fan of the first 2 films and will certainly be seeing the third despite all of the negative reviews. To me these films are best to be viewed as fun, mindless entertainment and should not be taken too seriously. That being said however, in a summer that has already given us The Dark Knight, Iron Man, a new Indiana Jones and a Brendan Frasier adventure movie ( Journey to the Center of the Earth), are audiences really going to line up to see another Mummy? As much as I’d like it to be a big hit (I really like Brendan Frasier, to me he’s like Harrison Ford lite), I don’t think it will be. I think The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor will make $38 million this weekend and crawl it’s way to an overall gross of about $100 million. 

Next up we have Kevin Costner starring in Swing Vote. Costner plays a loser who...

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The Dark Knight continued to dominate multiplexes this weekend grossing another $75 million bringing its total to $314 million in only 10 days setting yet another record. The previous record was held by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which took 16 days to reach the $300 million mark. Batman also broke the record for best second weekend gross outdistancing the $72 million taken in by Shrek 2 in it’s second frame. As it stands now, after only 2 weeks, The Dark Knight is the highest grossing film of the year.

Among newcomers, the Will Ferrell comedy, Step Brothers launched with a solid $30 million while The X Files: I Want to Believe crashed and burned with only $10.2 million. Among holdovers, Mamma Mia! continued to do well, grossing $17.9 million, bringing its total up to $62.7 million. My predictions were very close this weekend. Take a look at the chart below.

 

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