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Friday, August 15, 2008

This Time It's War

The CG animated Star Wars Episode 2.5 Clone Wars (reviews), Kiefer Sutherland takes a break from his TV gig 24 to star in Mirrors (reviews), and the 3-D animated Fly Me to the Moon (reviews) join the already released comedy Tropic Thunder (reviews)...

Will fanboys support Clone Wars? Or will Thunder rain on the Jedi?



Ben Fritz of Variety:

...After bowing to a decent $6.5 million on Wednesday, DreamWorks' ``Tropic Thunder,'' which stars helmer Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr., is going into the weekend as a slight favorite to come out on top of the box office. But the wild card, insiders largely agree, is Warner Bros.' ``Star Wars: the Clone Wars.''

Based on the upcoming Cartoon Network series, the LucasFilm-produced toon is expected to appeal primarily to young boys. But if enough older ``Star Wars'' fans attend, ``Clone Wars'' could end up the frame's winner.

``It's hard to get a handle on how much of the larger `Star Wars' fan base will come out,'' noted Warner Bros. domestic distribution prexy Dan Fellman.

``Clone Wars'' is playing 3,452 theaters, compared to 3,319 for ``Tropic Thunder.'' By Sunday, DreamWorks is looking for its comedy to gross in the mid-30s or higher. That could put it lower than ``Pineapple Express,'' which grossed $41.3 million in its first five days last week. Given the pic's reported $90 million budget, compared to a studio estimated $27 million for ``Pineapple,'' a lower bow for ``Thunder'' would have to be something of a disappointment.

Also opening wide on Friday is Fox's horror pic ``Mirrors.'' Kiefer Sutherland starrer will be at 2,664 playdates and is expected to gross in the low- to mid-teens. That could put it behind the fifth frame of Warner's ``The Dark Knight'' and the second for ``Pineapple Express.''

On a smaller scale, MGM opens Woody Allen's new pic ``Vicky Christina Barcelona'' for the Weinstein Co. at 692 locations. Based on past Allen pics that debuted with similar screen counts, a gross in the low- to mid-single digits is likely for the Spain-set comedy, which stars Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem.

``Fly Me to the Moon,'' the new toon that Summit is releasing for producer N Wave at just 452 playdates, is expect to gross in low single digits. Because it's playing at most theaters in digital 3-D, however, the pic may get a boost from higher ticket prices.

Overture is also opening Luke Wilson starrer ``Henry Poole Is Here'' at 527 theaters, with modest grosses expected.

And Freestyle is expanding Alan Rickman starrer ``Bottle Shock'' from 48 to 117 playdates over the frame...


Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons calls Thunder debut "soft"

Nicole Sperling of EW:

The box-office reign of ''The Dark Knight'' may be over as Ben Stiller's war movie spoof storms into theaters...

Thunder has the inside track to be sure...But the geeks are a powerful ticket buying block.

Summer '08 starts a sprint to the finish with The Rocker, The House Bunny take on Death Race

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