The Prince And His Prints

As the weekend's only new wide release and with stellar reviews-The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian played by Ben Barnes should easily be crowned the box office king come Monday...

Pamela McClintock and Dave McNary of Variety:

Hollywood is bowing down to "Prince Caspian."

Disney's sequel to 2005 hit "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" bows at 3,929 playdates domestically with no films opening wide against it. Fantasy lit adaptation also begins rolling out in a dozen international territories, but the Mouse is holding off on most key foreign markets until next month.

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," released in early December 2005, was a worldwide box office pleaser, grossing $291.7 million domestically and $453 million internationally.

Sequel is widely expected to be among the summer's most successful tentpoles -- a welcome development with the year's domestic cume trailing 2007 by 2% at $2.97 billion.

"Prince Caspian" reteams director Andrew Adamson with the principal cast from the first pic, which opened to $65 million. "Prince Caspian" is expected to open to at least that much and cement the "Narnia" film franchise for the Mouse House.

New pic skews slightly older than the first "Narnia," much as each successive "Harry Potter" film has. With more action, Disney is hoping it will have broader appeal.

Rated PG, the sequel is still poised to do strong family business, a lucrative market even while the rest of the box office struggles.

Unable to get up to speed in its bow last weekend, Warner Bros.' family-friendly title "Speed Racer" should take a big hit this frame against "Prince Caspian."

Disney's tentpole has six days to play before "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" opens day-and-date Thursday on the eve of the Memorial Day holiday frame.

"Crystal Skull" makes its worldwide premiere at Cannes on Sunday. That's the first the public and critics will see of the film, which returns the adventure-action franchise to the bigscreen after 18 years.

Par held exhibitor screenings last week in the U.S. Theater owners in the East and Midwest were strong in their reaction, while exhibs on the West Coast were more muted. Either way, most box office forecasters are predicting a big opening number. "Crystal Skull" is tracking strongly enough to make the numbers somewhat difficult to read in terms of how high "Caspian" may open domestically. Even after "Crystal Skull" opens, the new "Narnia" film should be able to hold its own because of its friendlier PG rating. "Crystal Skull" is rated PG-13.

Joshua Rich if EW:

Families who've been eagerly awaiting ''Prince Caspian'' will make it the summer's second blockbuster this weekend...

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In six days: After a 19 year abscence and numerous false starts--Indy finally cracks his whip once again in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...!!!!