Box Office - 'Death Race' Loses Ground to 'House Bunny' on Friday

This was a tough weekend to predict at the box office. On the one hand, you had some new releases that, if they gained traction, could challenge an underperforming Tropic Thunder for top honors. On the other hand, if the well-reviewed, star-loaded, and controversial Tropic Thunder underperformed, what's to prevent Death Race from doing the same thing?

Apparently, nothing.

Steve Mason at Fantasy Moguls has reviewed the Friday numbers, which show that the new Jason Statham movie opened well behind Anna Faris' The House Bunny. The playmate comedy led all movies Friday with $5.9 million, although as Mason points out, a lot of that will be young women flocking to the only movie in theaters that appeals to them on opening day (see Sex and the City). Don't expect an $18 million weekend here; the film should fall back on Saturday and particularly on Sunday.

Death Race was a disappointment yesterday, with only $4.3 million. I'm not entirely sure where this concept that Jason Statham could open a movie got started but he's never had anything open with over $20 million. Not even The Italian Job. And audiences are not fooled by this one, apparently. Look for a third-place finish this weekend as Death Race struggles to make $12 million.

That means, as we mentioned Thursday, that Tropic Thunder might be the top dog again. In the end, I predicted that Death Race would barely beat the war comedy, but with Thunder tracking just below House Bunny on Friday, its $15 million second weekend should hold up, while Death Race will battle The Dark Knight for third place.

We'll take a look at the final estimates tomorrow, which should put The Dark Knight at or over $490 million, while Tropic Thunder will have amassed about $65 million in two weeks.