Names And Numbers

This is gonna be one crowded weekend at the cineplex with 7 new films entering the fray. For one actress in particular, who appears in two out of the 7 new releases--it's gotta be fun.

A Double Vision Of Virginia This Weekend

Joel Schumacher directs Jim Carrey and Virginia Madsen in the thriller The Number 23 (reviews); Reno 911!: Miami (reviews) is a film based on the popular Comedy Central TV series; Billy Bob Thornton is The Astronaut Farmer (reviews) with Madsen, once again, playing leading lady; The Abandoned (reviews) is a horror pic imported from Spain; Director Michael Apted returns to work with the 18th century period drama Amazing Grace (reviews) While the romance Starter for 10 (reviews) begins a limited run before going wide on March 9th; And finally, there's Gray Matters (reviews) a film that tries to recapture the feel of a 1940's-style screwball comedy...

Ian Mohr of Variety writes of the crowded field:

Can "The Number 23" beat "Reno 911!: Miami" to emerge as No. 1 this weekend?

B.O. could be close for the two.

For New Line, the question is whether [the masses] will turn out to see funnyman Jim Carrey in the psychological thriller "23." Pic is tracking to hit up to $20 million, with keen interest from women under 25 and men over that age.

Meanwhile, Fox's "Reno" seems to have dibs on the young male demo.

The studio has been on a roll with comedies lately: It still has a hit in "Night at the Museum," and it opened "Epic Movie," a slapsticky, poorly reviewed spoof, at No. 1 a few weekends ago.

"Reno," the big screen adaptation of the Comedy Central [show], will pull into 2,703 precincts, while "23" shoots for 2,759 as the frame's widest new rollouts.

Also bowing will be Warner Bros.' inspirational heartland drama "The Astronaut Farmer," which will open on 2,155. "Farmer," starring Billy Bob Thornton as a rancher keen on launching himself into space via a self-built rocket, is rated PG, perhaps giving it some fuel with family [audiences].

"The Number 23" -- in which Carrey stars as a man whose life is mysteriously overcome by a creepy novel -- and "Cops" spoof "911" are both rated R.

Standing in the way of the newcomers will be "Ghost Rider," the Nicolas Cage starrer that burned up the B.O. last frame. Even if the pic drops 55% from last weekend's biz, it should still be in the hunt at the top of the charts.

Other holdovers with room to roam at the B.O. include Disney and Walden's "Bridge to Terabithia," DreamWorks' "Norbit," Warner Bros.' "Music and Lyrics," Universal's "Breach" and Lionsgate's "Daddy's Little Girls."

Oscarcast on Sunday could, of course, corral attention away from the bigscreens as movie fans tune in to the tube...

The article continues...

Meanwhile, Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly says:

Expect to see Jim Carrey's dark thriller atop the box-office chart, with ''Ghost Rider'' tailgating at No. 2