Wide Asleep

The good news for first time director Joby Harold is that his film is the only wide new release this weekend...The bad news...Critics were not given the chance to screen the flick--which history has proven--is usually not a good sign...

Star Hayden Christensen is still one lucky guy though. He gets to carry around the beautiful Jessica Alba in the thriller Awake (reviews)



Pamela McClintock and Dave McNary of Variety:

Thanksgiving leftovers are expected to feed most of the weekend box office, with Hayden Christensen-Jessica Alba thriller "Awake" the only new wide release in a welcome respite from the otherwise overcrowded fall.

Disney's princess tale "Enchanted" is expected to cast the most winning spell. Amy Adams starrer won the five-day Thanksgiving frame with a $50 million haul; cume was $52.5 million through Wednesday, according to Rentrak.

Distributed by MGM, Dimension Films' "Awake" unspools in 2,002 theaters. Helmed and written by Joby Harold in his directorial debut, psychological drama revolves a man who finds himself awake, yet paralyzed, during heart surgery.

Historically, theater traffic takes a dip the weekend after the extended Thanksgiving frame.

The limited side will be busier as Miramax opens Julian Schnabel's French film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and Fox Searchlight debuts filmmaker Tamara Jenkins' "The Savages," starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Besides "Enchanted," other top holdovers heading into their second sesh include Sony's "This Christmas," which finished last weekend at No. 2 and cumed $28 million through Wednesday, and 20th Century Fox's big screen vidgame adaptation "Hitman," which came in No. 4 over Thanksgiving and grossed $23.7 million through Wednesday.

Heading into its third frame, Paramount/Shangri-La Entertainment's 3-D epic "Beowulf" remains a strong contender, proving that the extra charge for a 3-D movie ticket can bolster a movie's box office. Pic, which came in No. 3 over Thanksgiving, grossed $59.8 million through Wednesday.

A clutch of holdover family films will continue to look for box office traction, including Paramount-DreamWorks Animation's "Bee Movie" ($112.9 million through Wednesday), Warner Bros.' "Fred Claus" ($53.6 million through Wednesday), Fox-Walden's "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" ($22.8 million through Wednesday) and Warners' "August Rush" ($14.7 million through Wednesday).

On the limited side, "Diving Bell" plays three locations in Gotham and L.A. Film is based on the memoir by former French Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who was left immobilized by a stroke.

"Savages," which opened Wednesday, plays in four theaters in L.A. and Gotham. Dysfunctional-family storyline revolves around a brother and sister who come together to care for their ailing father.

Other limited debuts include Bollywood musical "Aaja Nachle," which Yash Raj opens in 66 theaters in key markets; Bollywood comedy "Nina's Heavenly Delights," which Regent opens in two theaters in New York; Iraqi war drama "Badland," which Arcangelo opens in two theaters; biopic "The Rocket," which Palm opens in one theater in New York; Argentine suspense drama "Chronicle of an Escape," which IFC First Take opens in one theater in Gotham; and docu "Protagonist," which IFC opens in one theater in New York.

Todd Haynes' experimental Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There" is expanding into 138 theaters...

Click here for the foreign stats.

Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:

With little new competition, expect the Disney musical to wear box office crown for a second weekend...

Next Week: Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig team up for the second time since August (The Invasion) to bring the Golden Compass to the big screen...