What A Weekend Brawl! Box Office Shows Moneyball Vs Dolphin Tale For #1, Lion King 3D #3, Abduction Vs Killer Elite #4

FRIDAY6 PM UPDATE: Numbers are shaping up following Rentrak hiccups.There are fierce fights going on at the North American box office for No. 1 and No. 4. These are still very early grosses, and my sources still saySony’s Moneyball starring Brad Pitt will be No. 1 Friday with approx $8M Friday and possibly mid-$20sM for the weekend. That solid number helps Brad Pitt’s awards chances in this well-received male-centric sports movie. But right now Alcon Entertainment is telling everyone that unlessitsDolphin Tale loses to Moneyball by more than a mil today, then the heartstrings-pulling pic should jump 60% on Saturday because of the family film bump and hit $24M and win the weekend.Remember,the maimed mammal is also playing in the most theaters as it looks for $6M today while distributor Warner Bros knew for weeks it wastracking strong.Lionsgate’s Abduction may end uparound $4.5M Friday and what could be mid-teens for the weekend. That may put it behind Disney’s second weekend of Lion King 3D which should also do mid-teens. Then again, I’ve just learned that Taylor Lautner’s $36M-budget action thriller was outspent 4-to-1 in marketing dollars by both Sony and Warner Bros leading up to this weekend. (Shame on Lionsgate’s Jon Feltheimer for tying everyone’s hands even after powerless Alli Shearmur pleaded.)So anyone who claimed this Twilight kid couldn’t open an envelope is wrong: there are major stars who still would be thrilled with that outcome, especially in as rotten a reviewed movie as this one. Lionsgate can’t seem to make a decent movie or market one anymore.I hear that, even though the studio doesn’t deserve it, Lautner is still gettingon a plane and selling the movie overseas for the next 9 days.Remains to be seen if Abduction can edge out Open Road’s Killer Elite whichmay be $5M today, and low teens for the weekend. Frequent updates coming with full analysis. FRIDAY 4 PM: On vacation. So box office is brought to you from a sunny climate where the palm trees sway in time to the dancing trade winds… But back home there’s a fierce fight going on. These are very early grosses, and my sources say Rentrak has been experiencing problems today — thus giving Hollywood even more Maalox moments than usual. Sony’s Moneyball starring Brad Pitt will be No. 1 with approx $8M Friday and possibly mid-$20sM for the weekend. That solid number helps Brad Pitt’s awards chances in this well-received male-centric sports movie. Right now Alcon Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dolphin Tale and Lionsgate’s Abduction are battling for No. 2 with around $6M today and what could be high teens for the weekend. Interesting, because the heartstrings-pulling pic was tracking much better. Then again, Taylor Lautner’s action thriller is playing in 389 less theaters. So anyone who claimed this Twilight kid couldn’t open an envelope is wrong, wrong, wrong: there are major stars who would be thrilled with that outcome, especially in as rotten a reviewed movie as this one. Open Road’s Killer Elite looks a notch lower – maybe $5M today, and low teens for the weekend. Frequent updates coming with full analysis.

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