Sex Drive

Oscar weekend at the cineplex offers moviegoers a choice between either an adult comedy, a 3-D actioner or more of the Bieber dude--Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate get a Hall Pass (reviews) from directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly; While Nicolas Cage learns to Drive Angry (reviews); And of course Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Director's Fan Cut (reviews) hits just 3-D screens

Pamela McClintock of THR

The Farrelly brothers’ R-rated comedy Hall Pass is on track to win the weekend box office race, while Paramount’s Insurge Pictures releases an updated version of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never in a maverick move designed to encourage repeat viewing.

'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never' Might Get Director's-Cut Release While Still in TheatersJustin Bieber: Never Say Never Director’s Fan Cut, boasting 40 minutes of new footage, will only play in 3D theaters. Movie’s cume is a healthy $52.9 million as it heads into its third weekend. The original version will continue to play in regular theaters.

Tracking shows Hall Pass, starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis, opening in the mid- to high-teens, a solid start for the siblings. Warner Bros. debuts the New Line film in 2,950 theaters

There’s less interest in Nicolas Cage's supernatural action pic Drive Angry 3D, also rated R.

Summit Entertainment is releasing Drive Angry in the U.S. for Avi Lerner’s Nu Image/Millennium Films. Film goes out in 2,061 locations in the U.S., of which 2012 are 3D runs.

Both Hall Pass and Drive Angry should draw a heavily male audience, although Hall Pass is showing some traction among younger females.

Hall Pass — also starring Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate and Richard Jenkins — is the Farrellys’ first movie since The Heartbreak Kid in 2007 and tells the story of two men whose wives give them permission to go on vacation from their marriage for one week.

Also starring Amber Heard, Drive Angry stars Cage as a man who breaks out of hell to prevent the cult that murdered his daughter from sacrificing his infant granddaughter.

Drive Angry could end up in a battle for No. 2 with holdovers Unknown, Gnomeo & Juliet and possibly I Am Number Four.

Summit is projecting an opening grossing in the high single digits, or low teens, for Drive Angry.

With the Academy Awards on Sunday, Oscar contenders could see healthy business on Friday and Saturday as moviegoers rush to see films they’ve missed. (The Oscar ceremony itself could take a bite out of the box office Sunday evening.)

A healthy number of award movies have prospered at this year, both domestically and overseas.

The King’s Speech has grossed $236.2 million worldwide, followed by The Social Network at $222.8 million. Black Swan has earned $203.7 million, while True Grit should jump the $200 million mark this weekend (True Grit’s global cume through Wednesday was $198.3 million)...

 John Young of EW:

Will 'Hall Pass' give the Farrelly brothers their first No. 1 hit in a decade?

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