Fearless Forecast - 'Max Payne' to Kick Little Pampered Dogs

I would be highly surprised if Max Payne didn't finish atop the weekend box office chart. Last week, I would've been mildly surprised if Beverly Hills Chihuahua repeated...so I was mildly surprised.What gives Max Payne a real edge this week is that its major new competition is a film about an unpopular President directed by a divisive filmmaker that will only pop up in two-thirds as many theaters. But even with Mark Wahlberg in the starring role and being the film with the best connection to the most active audience of opening weekend moviegoers, I don't expect Max Payne to go through the roof. As for W., the new Oliver Stone film about George W. Bush, I think positive reviews about Josh Brolin and Stone's more favorable portrayal of his subject will bring in a few potential patrons that might have been on the fence. If it were opening in 3,000 theaters instead of 2,000, the numbers would look really good. I still believe, though, that it will do very well on a per-screen basis. It's just not on enough screens to win the weekend.There are two other new releases, The Secret Life of Bees and Sex Drive, and they'll do moderately well given their expectations. To me, the most interesting head-to-head battle is between Body of Lies and Quarantine. If you'll recall, Quarantine made more than the DiCaprio-Crowe film last weekend, and it leads Body of Lies in total box office to this point. Can a low-budget horror flick really earn more than two of Hollywood's biggest names over the long haul?The Top Five: 1 - Max Payne ($21 million)
2 - W. ($13 million)
3 - Beverly Hills Chihuahua ($11.5 million)
4 - The Secret Life of Bees ($8 million)
5 - Body of Lies ($6.5 million)

Comments

[Vince]

Wouldn't that be crazy if "Chihuahua" three-peated? I mean it could happen; "Max Payne" might not take off as expected, and "W" might bomb right-out. Still would like to see Marky Mark lead the funky bunch (of films) this weekend.