Tarnished "Gold"?

As this week's only new wide release, the fantasy flick The Golden Compass (reviews) should rule...However, the controversy that surrounds the film could affect its totals.

Pamela McCimtock and Dave McNary of Variety:

Hoping to chart a new film franchise, New Line opens "The Golden Compass" in 3,528 theaters this weekend. Fantasy epic is the only wide release of the frame, leaving elbow room for Disney's princess tale "Enchanted" and other holdovers.

Meanwhile, on the limited side of the biz, at least 13 pics will enter the fray, including Focus Features period piece "Atonement" and the Weinstein Co.'s "Grace Is Gone." Weekend is also the first for Fox Searchlight's quirky comedy "Juno," which bowed Wednesday. "Compass," directed by Chris Weitz and based on Brit author Philip Pullman's young adult book trilogy "His Dark Materials," stars Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

New Line is positioning the film as a worldwide event. "Compass" should easily win the weekend at the overseas box office as it goes day-and-date in 27 markets. Pic opened respectably on Wednesday with $4.3 million in nine territories, led by $1.9 million from 502 sites in the U.K.

"Compass" cost $180 million to produce, according to the studio.

At that pricetag, a domestic debut of under $30 million could be problematic for New Line. Studio said tracking suggests the film could open at $30 million-$40 million, although some box office observers put it lower.

New Line has sold off overseas territories.

"Compass" is set in a multidimensional world where the souls of people are contained in animals, or "daemons." The main heroine of the series is a young girl who comes into possession of a magical compass and uses it to battle the evil Magisterium (in the book, clearly the Catholic Church).

Tracking for "Compass" suggests that the pic has huge unaided awareness, but a high percentage of those people -- primarily older women -- say they aren't interested in seeing the film. Tracking is solid among families.

Some Catholic orgs have called for a boycott of the pic, even while New Line and Weitz played down the Catholic aspect of Pullman's atheist-themed tomes.

"Compass" is rated PG-13, as were the last two "Harry Potter" films as well as the three "Lord of the Rings" films, none of which were hurt by the more restrictive rating.

In its bow Wednesday, "Juno" grossed an estimated $55,179 from seven theaters in New York and L.A. for a strong midweek per-location average of $7,883, according to Searchlight. Directed by Jason Reitman, film stars Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman.

Focus opens Joe Wright's "Atonement," toplining James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, in 32 theaters in key markets. TWC opens John Cusack starrer "Grace Is Gone," directed by James C. Strouse, in four theaters in New York and L.A...

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Joshua Rich of EW:

Despite bad buzz and controversy, the fantasy flick looks like a sure No. 1 this weekend...

Next Week: Things heat up amid the cold of winter as the film adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend finally arrives with a new ''Batman'' preview on Imax screens; The Perfect Holiday exists only in Hollywood; Ugh! Alvin and the Chipmunks return...