Over Under Odds

Even as 2 new releases go wide this weekend...all eyes are really on the Oscar nominated flicks...

Patrick Tatopoulos takes the reins from Len Wiseman for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (reviews). And Brendan Fraser stars in Inkheart (reviews)--yet another family pic for the actor's resume...

Dave McNary and Pamela McClintock of Variety:

Brit actor Michael Sheen stars in two films that will grace the marquee this weekend, although they couldn’t be more different: Sony’s fantasy-actioner “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” and Universal’s best picture nominee “Frost/Nixon.”

“Rise of the Lycans” debuts in 2,942 theaters and is forecast to win the frame.

Warner Bros./New Line open family adventure “Inkheart,” toplining Brendan Fraser, in 2,655 runs. Film, which has been completed for months, doesn’t have strong buzz but has an advantage as a kidpic.

There will be plenty of action on the specialty side as “Frost/Nixon” and fellow best-pic nominee “Slumdog Millionaire,” from Fox Searchlight, expand nationwide following the announcement of the noms.

“Rise of the Lycans” is the third installment in Screen Gems-Lakeshore’s lucrative “Underworld” franchise. “Underworld: Evolution” opened to $26.9 million on the same weekend in 2006 on its way to grossing $62.3 million domestically. Original “Underworld” earned $21.8 million in its first weekend on its way to cuming $51.5 million.

Holdovers should continue to see good biz, including Sony’s “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” which heads into its second sesh with a cume north of $41 million. ...

Joshua Rich of EW:

Get ready for another screwy, unpredictable weekend at the box office, as the expanded releases of several Oscar-nominated movies (notably, Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road, and The Wrestler) battle two formidable freshman flicks....

Lycans will most likely be #1--But I want to see how big the bump is for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as the LA Times writes Button's' Oscar nominations may not pay off for Paramount...

Next Up: Liam Neeson goes after his kidnapped daughter who is Taken--and he kicks butt in the process: Elizabeth Banks is The Uninvited; While Renée Zellweger is New In Town and looking for love from Harry Connick, Jr.