Weekend Box Office #63

So it's going to be a very busy weekend at movie theaters this weekend, as everyone who has gotten their holiday shopping done (and some that haven't) escape the cold and/or the holiday stress and see a flick.

Along with holdovers I AM LEGEND and ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, which should both easily break $25 million for the weekend, these films are opening wide:

NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (3832 theaters). Early buzz is that it's better than the first (which I never saw, but which did pretty well at the box office), and it seems like the kind of breezy comic adventure that people are in the mood for. $49.7 million.

WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY (2650 theaters). An article in yesterday's LA Times said that this and the next two movies would be battling for fifth place this weekend, and that none might break $10 million. I think WALK HARD will beat them handily. $18.9 million.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2574 theaters). Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are appealing actors, but I'm not sure Universal has figured out quite how to sell this yet. Still, it should do around $13.0 million.

P.S. I LOVE YOU (2454 theaters). It's a big weekend for punctuation in titles. Even though this movie looks like it might ultimately be uplifting, I'm not sure people will flock to see a film about a woman getting over a dead loved one during this holiday season. $6.9 million.

SWEENEY TODD (1249 theaters). I think that there is a big wanna-see factor with this, though the screen count is pretty low. Still, figure $14.2 million.

And then opening wide on Christmas Day are THE WATER HORSE (2772 theaters), ALIEN VS. PREDATOR - REQUIEM (2563 theaters) and THE GREAT DEBATERS (1164 theaters). And JUNO is expanding to 994 theaters.

Anyone that sees any of these, report in; there are a lot of choices to make, and a lot of movies that will be seen or missed.

If you see me limping around a theater, say hi. Though I may have to find an unpopular movie, so I have a place to put my crutches.