2011 Oscar Predictions!

The 83rd Academy Awards begin tonight at 8pm ET on ABC -- and will honor the best in film for 2010. Having seen all the movies in the top categories and all the nominated performances, I offer up my predictions with some level of confidence.

Like I said last year, I'd love to be right -- but I also love to be surprised. The most memorable Oscar shows have always been the ones with some upsets. With that said, here are my predictions (in purple)...

2/28 update -- winners in red


Best Picture

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech - winner
The Social Network
127 Hours
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

For the second year in a row, we have a staggering 10 best picture noms -- after 5 was the norm for decades. But even with the added films, the race is down to just two -- The King's Speech and The Social Network. The latter was the early favorite, but was released in October -- losing steam as the awards season kicked into high gear. So, watch for the very worthy The King's Speech to take the top prize. The Oscar voters skew older, so the WWII-timed story should strike a chord more than the one about the relatively new Facebook creation. Meanwhile, my favorite movie of 2010, Toy Story 3, will have to settle for the best animated feature award (see below).

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
David O. Russell (The Fighter)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech) - winner
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

This race is down to the same two movies -- and it's even a tighter race. Second-time nominee Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) may squeak out a win over relative newcomer Hooper -- even though the latter took the Directors Guild prize. But again, some years a sweep occurs -- so don't be surprised if Hooper walks home with trophy. Either way, both men are very deserving.


Best Actor

Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech) - winner
James Franco (127 Hours)
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Bridges (Crazy Heart) beat Firth (A Single Man) in the same category last year, so it's time for Firth to get his sweet revenge. No contest this year. Firth turned in a great performance as the stuttering British monarch in The King's Speech -- and will hold that trophy high late in the evening.

Best Actress

Annette Bening (The Kids are All Right)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan) - winner
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

This race is closer than you think. The Black Swan's Portman has received most of the attention for her harrowing turn as a ballerina suffering from a mental collapse. But Bening was amazing in her role as a lesbian mother trying to keep her family together. When I left the theater after seeing The Kids Are All Right, I turned to my friend and said, "I forgot how great an actress Bening is!" She's come close to winning this award before -- so the Academy may honor her here. But I think Portman still maintains the edge.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale (The Fighter) - winner
John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Bale totally transformed himself to play a crack-addicted former boxing hero in The Fighter -- a truly mesmerizing performance. He should win over Rush who was excellent as the speech therapist in The King's Speech. Once again, though -- a strong tide for The King's Speech could reverse the results.


Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter) - winner
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Much talk has been made that Leo has turned off voters with her shameless self-campaigning. Others suggest that she and Fighter co-star Adams will split the vote. But I still think she'll ride the wave of her previous wins at the other award shows and capture the Oscar. It will be a well-deserved win for her excellent portrayal of a head-strong mother. But this category is notorious for being the one with the most surprises on the big night. So, don't be shocked if 14-year-old newcomer Steinfeld wins for her gritty performance in True Grit.


Best Original Screenplay

Another Year (Mike Leigh)
The Fighter (Paul Attanasio, Lewis Colich, Eric Johnson, Scott Silverand Paul Tamasy)
Inception (Christopher Nolan)
The Kids are All Right (Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko)
The King's Speech (David Seidler) - winner

Look for The King's Speech to add to its trophy case here. It's a great historical story intertwined with one of true friendship -- the type of uplifting film that the Academy loves. I thought the writing in Another Year was equally exceptional -- but Inception is the dark horse with its truly unique story.

Best Adapted Screenplay

127 Hours (Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle)
The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin) - winner
Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
Winter's Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini)

Famed TV writer Sorkin (The West Wing) stepped up his game for the intriguing Social Network -- and the film's win here will be a nice consolation prize for losing in the Best Picture category. How could the Academy pass on such brilliant, quickfire dialogue? I must say that is a shame that the absorbing 127 Hours will be shutout in the main categories tonight.


Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3 - winner

No contest here. How to Train Your Dragon was good, not great. And The Illusionist was beautiful to look at, but a bit short on story. With its equally great story and top-notch animation, Toy Story 3 was my favorite movie of the year -- and those geniuses at Pixar/Disney will deservedly win here.



Notes:

• A complete list of the 83rd Academy Award nominations can be found here. -- winners list updated at same link!
  
• My reviews of the Oscar-nominated films can be found here and at the Film Reviews icon at left.
  

Oscar Catch-up and Final Reviews

If you're a movie lover like me, then this is a big weekend with tomorrow night's 83rd Annual Academy Awards (8pm ET/5pm ET on ABC). My predictions in leading categories will be posted here by tomorrow morning.

Every year, I have a goal to see all the Oscar-nominated films and performances before the Academy Awards telecast. And more recently, I have expanded that goal to include all the following:

• 10 best picture nominees
• 3 best animated feature film nominees
  
• 5 best director nominees
• 5 best original screenplay nominees
• 5 best adapted screenplay nominees
• 5 best actor nominees
• 5 best actress nominees
• 5 best supporting actor nominees
• 5 best supporting actress nominees

When the nominations were made last month, I only needed to see these seven films to achieve my expanded goal:

• Animal Kingdom - best supporting actress Jacki Weaver
• Another Year - best original screenplay
• Biutiful - best actor Javier Bardem -- and also best foreign film
  
• Blue Valentine - best actress Michelle Williams
• The Fighter - best picture, 3 best acting nods, best director, etc.
• The Illusionist - best animated film
• The King’s Speech - best picture, 3 best acting nods, best director, etc.

Well, I completed my goal last Sunday -- with a week to spare! Here are my quick reviews of these seven -- and three more films I saw that garnered some nominations (but that I hadn't previously reviewed). All other reviews for films nominated in these key categories can be found by clicking on the FILM REVIEWS archive icon at left.


Animal Kingdom

A crime family unravels in this Australian film that I found a bit too slow. Jacki Weaver is fine as the matriarch, but her nomination wrongly excluded some more worthy candidates (e.g., Mila Kunis in Black Swan). The main focus is centered around the matriarch's teenage grandson played by James Frecheville. The lead's performance is too wooden to be absorbing. Enough twists occur to hold your interest, but this was my least favorite of the bunch -- and I cannot recommend. Grade = C+


Another Year

There is something magical about director/writer Michael Leigh's movies. You feel like a fly on a wall watching real-life human interactions -- rather than actors on the screen. A married couple who have remained happy into their autumn years are surrounded over the course of the four seasons by family and friends who all suffer some degree of unhappiness. The movie has a great message about taking responsibility for your own life and your own happiness. Terrific performances by Lesley Manville, Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen -- all who were robbed of nominations.
Grade = A-


Biutiful

Javier Bardem turns in another amazing performance in this Mexican film set in Barcelona, Spain. Bardem is a street criminal with two children, a bipolar estranged wife, a guilty conscience and a terminal disease. This film is dark, gritty and most of all, depressing. But Bardem's performance is unforgettable. Grade = B+


Blue Valentine

Michelle Williams earned her second nomination as half of a young couple in a dissolving marriage. And Ryan Gosling was robbed of a nomination for playing Williams' husband. The movie escapes being a total downer by interspersing scenes of their meeting and courtship. Excellent performances in a raw drama. Grade = A-


The Fighter

Talk about excellent performances -- this movie is filled with them. It's about two brother boxers in a dysfunctional family. One whose career has passed (Christian Bale) and one who is out to make a name for himself (Mark Wahlberg). Melissa Leo plays the matriarch and Amy Adams plays Wahlberg's girlfriend -- and both prove once again why they are two of our top actresses (competing against each other for supporting actress this year). Oscar-nominee Bale is nearly unrecognizable as the drugged-out former star. Great story, great direction, great performances. Grade: A-


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Included here because of its visual effects and art direction nominations. But the magic of this first half of the series conclusion goes well beyond technical recognition. This time around, the story really concentrates on the three young wizard leads -- and boy, have they've grown into these roles. The captivating story and visuals combine to make this the best film in the series to date. Grade = A-


How to Train Your Dragon

Nominated for best animated feature, the film has no chance against the far-superior Toy Story 3. But it's still a fun film in its own right -- about a young teenager earning validation in a mythical Viking world. The animation is top-notch and the voice acting of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig are well cast. Grade = B


The Illusionist

Also nominated for best animated feature is this French film. Every scene is like watching an artist's masterpiece painting. The beautiful visuals help carry a sometimes slow and simple story about an aging magician who befriends an adoring young woman. Amazingly, there is hardly any dialogue -- but ultimately, you'll still find deep meaning in what is conveyed. Grade = B+


The King's Speech

If you're a lover of history, I cannot recommend this British movie enough. Colin Firth plays King George VI (father of current monarch Queen Elizabeth II), who works to overcome his stutter with the help of Lionel Logue, an unorthodox speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. The two men become friends as they work together, and after his brother abdicates the throne, the new king relies on Logue to help him make a crucial radio broadcast at the beginning of World War II. Firth, Rush and Helena Bonham Carter (as George's wife -- who we all knew later as the Queen Mum) are at the top of their game. This beautiful film is more than just a history lesson though -- it's a rewarding exploration of true friendship. Grade = A-


Winter's Bone

Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence is a revelation as a teenager trying to keep her family together in a dirt poor Ozarks town -- while her mother remains in a catatonic state and her father is missing. It's one of those movies that will make you glad you have the life you live -- because there's always someone out there that has it worse off than you. Also earned nominations for best picture, best adapted screenplay and best supporting acting (John Hawkes). Depressing, but uplifting just the same. Grade = B


There you have it -- my final film reviews (more on that big news later). And a reminder to check back tomorrow morning for my predictions.

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• The race for the top spot at the weekend box office is so close -- it can't officially be called til Monday. According to estimates, Sony's Just Go With It opened to an estimated $31 million from 3,548 theaters. The poor reviews for the Jennifer Aniston/Adam Sandler comedy didn't keep audiences away -- as early Valentine's Day celebrators were looking for a rom-com. If the film hangs on to the top spot, the film will be the 11th Sandler film to open at #1 domestically.
• Just behind, Paramount's Justin Bieber: Never Say Never far outpaced expectations in grossing an estimated $30.3 million from 3,105 locations, including 2,156 higher-priced 3D runs.
• Never Say Never's cume is now $31 million when adding in the $740,000 grossed from special screenings last Wednesday.
• In third place, Disney's 3D family entry Gnomeo & Juliet did strong business in debuting to an estimated $25.5 million -- the best February opening ever for an animated pic.
• Focus Features' Roman epic The Eagle, the weekend's fourth new wide opener, came in on the high end of expectations. At #4, the Channing Tatum-starrer grossed an estimated $8.6 million.
• Although it looks to be the best weekend so far in 2011, the domestic box office still couldn't catch up with last year, partly because Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday in 2010. Revenues were down more than 25%.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of True Grit and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Despite consistently poor reviews, Sony/Screen Gems' thriller The Roommate topped the weekend box office -- grossing an estimated $15.6 million in its debut.
• Despite the extra bump from higher-priced 3D tickets and James Cameron as executive producer, Sanctum couldn't crack the $10 million mark in its debut. However, its $9.2 million opening gross was better than Universal anticipated -- and good enough for #2.
  
• Last week's #1, New Line/Warner Bros.' The Rite, slipped to #6 in its second weekend -- a steep 62% decline.
  
• Though a solid start for The Roommate, the overall box office was down more than 23% from 2010, when Screen Gems' Dear John opened to an especially good $30.5 million. Usually, Super Bowl weekend is hard for Hollywood, with theater traffic dropping substantially on game day.
  
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of True Grit, Black Swan and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• New Line/Warner Bros.' Anthony Hopkins exorcism pic The Rite opened on the lower end of expectations, but still won the weekend box office race with an estimated gross of $15 million.
• Last week's #1, Paramount and Spyglass' No Strings Attached, held better than expected. The romantic comedy came in #2 while grossing an estimated $13.7 million -- and now has a cumulative total of $39.7 million in its first 10 days.
• CBS Films' action remake The Mechanic, the weekend's other new entry, tied with Sony holdover The Green Hornet for #3 -- each grossing $11.5 million.
• For award favorites, Oscar nominations resulted in a definite box office bump, led by the Weinstein Co.'s The King's Speech, which jumped the $70 million mark domestically and came in #5.
• Paramount's True Grit (#6) showed a zero decline from the previous weekend, unusual for a film well into its run. The Western, receiving 10 Oscar nods, grossed an estimated $7.6 million for a cume of $148.4 million.
• Coming in at #8, Fox Searchlight's awards front-runner Black Swan was down only 13% from the previous weekend to jump the $90 million mark on its way to $100 million.
• Paramount's The Fighter also benefited from its top Oscar nods, coming in #9 and dipping just 5% from the previous weekend. The film grossed an estimated $4.1 million for a cume of $78.4 million.
• Across the board, the box office was hurt Friday by yet another storm in the Northeast. But business rebounded on Saturday and doesn't have any football to compete with today. While box office revenues were down 13-15% over the same period last year, it's a narrower decline than recent weekends.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of True Grit, Black Swan and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Paramount’s Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher R-rated romantic comedy No Strings Attached topped the weekend box office with a solid $20.3 million start -- on the higher end of expectations. The film obviously overcame mostly weak reviews with good word-of-mouth by a mostly female audience.
  
• No Strings Attached proved a strong return for Ivan Reitman in the director’s chair. The $20.3 million opening beat the debuts of recent R-rated comedy hits I Love You, Man ($17.8 million) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall ($17.7 million).
• Meanwhile, Portman is the darling of the box office -- with two films in the top ten. Fox Searchlight’s Black Swan is still doing strong business, coming in #6 for the weekend. Portman won the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama for her role in the psychological thriller. Jeff Bridges shares the two-fer feat -- starring in #5 True Grit and #10 Tron: Legacy.
  
• Sony’s 3D The Green Hornet came in #2 in its second weekend, declining a respectable 46% to an estimated $18.1 million -- and a domestic cume of $63.4 million.
• Colin Firth’s Golden Globe win a week ago for best actor in a drama likely boosted The King’s Speech, coming in #4 for the weekend. On Saturday, the filmed scored a surprise upset over The Social Network in winning the top award from the Producers Guild of America.
• On the downside is the 11th consecutive down weekend vs. last year with the ghost of Avatar looming large and making comparisons tough.
• The specialized fare of The King's Speech, True Grit and Black Swan should continue to do well next weekend -- not only because of good reviews, but due to the Oscar nominations they should garner come Tuesday morning.
  
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of True Grit, Black Swan and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Sony's 3D The Green Hornet grossed an estimated $34 million over the weekend to nab the second-best opening ever for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Sony estimates the superhero pic will gross $40.5 million through Monday.
• The only other film to gross more over the long King holiday weekend was Paramount's 2008 Cloverfield, which earned $40.1 million for the three days and $46.1 million for the four days. Hornet also is the third-highest January opener after Cloverfield and a reissue of Star Wars.
• Ron Howard's Vince Vaughn/Kevin James comedy The Dilemma, from Universal, got off to a rough start due to bad reviews -- grossing an estimated $17.4 million through Sunday. Good enough for the #2 spot, but far lower than the usual opening for a Vaughn or James comedy.
• The bright spot continued to be specialized fare -- as The King's Speech, True Grit and Black Swan continue to do well -- thanks to good reviews.
  
• It is important to note that The Green Hornet came in on the lower end of expectations -- possibly due to poor reviews. The film couldn't help reverse a troubling downturn at the domestic box office for studio popcorn titles. Overall revenues for the weekend were down at least 25% from last year, as well as being the lowest since 2007.
  
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of True Grit, Black Swan and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Paramount and Skydance Prods.' True Grit wrestled the weekend box office crown from Universal's Little Fockers for the first time, grossing an estimated $15 million and upping its overall take to $110.4 million.
• True Grit and #2 Little Fockers (with $13.8 million) had no trouble beating Relativity Media newcomer Season of the Witch. The Nicholas Cage-starrer came in #3 with an estimated debut of $10.7 million.
• Sony/Screen Gems' new nationwide entry starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Country Strong, grossed an estimated $7.3 million to come in #6 as it expanded from a limited two-city run.
  
• It was a slow weekend overall compared to the same time frame a year ago, when Avatar lit up the domestic box office with a $50 million gross. Revenues this year were down a whopping 30%.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of True Grit, Black Swan and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Little Fockers grossed an estimated $26.3 million over the holiday weekend to top the box office and jump the $100 million mark. The film now has a cume of $103.2 million. However, it is pacing well behind previous sequel Meet the Fockers, which earned $162.5 million during the same frame in 2004.
• Paramount's True Grit finished at #2 -- earning another $24.5 million -- and raising its domestic cume to $86.8 million, the best ever gross for the Coen brothers.
• Except for True Grit and other top awards contenders, the Christmas season has been a disappointment for Hollywood studios. Business over New Year's weekend was down a hefty 27% from last year, when Avatar and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, both from 20th Century Fox, did big business.
• Big losers for the 2010 holidays include Fox's 3D family adventure Gulliver's Travels, which grossed an estimated $9.1 million to come in #8 for New Year's weekend and raise its cume to only $27.2 million. Sony also stumbled with Christmas romantic comedy How Do You Know, which fell out of the top 10 already and has a cume of just $25.1 million.
• While it didn't become the breakout hit that Disney had hoped for, the studio's 3D Tron: Legacy was still the biggest grosser of the two-week holiday stretch. The film finished #3 over New Year's weekend at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $18.3 million for a cume of $130.9 million.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of True Grit, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Gulliver's Travels, Black Swan and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• In another soft weekend, Disney's 3D Tron: Legacy debuted on top of the domestic box office with a $43.6 million opening. Quite a big leap from the original Tron film -- which opened with $4.8 million on the weekend of July 9, 1982.
• Warner Bros.' 3D family entry Yogi Bear opened to $16.7 million to finish in second place. The CG/live-action hybrid had been expected to open at $20 million.
• Coming in #3 was last week's winner -- 20th Century Fox and Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It fell 48% to $12.4 million for a new domestic cume of $42.8 million. Overseas, the third Narnia film won the weekend with $29.9 million for a worldwide gross of $166.8 million.
• At #4, Paramount/Relativity Media's The Fighter grossed $12.2 million as it expanded after opening the weekend before in N.Y. and Los Angeles.
• Due to mostly poor reviews, Sony's How Do You Know (filmed partially in my neighborhood!) opened to a paltry $7.6 million -- only good for #8.
• The weekend was down about 3% from the same frame last year.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Black Swan and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Fox's 3D action fantasy The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader opened with a disappointing $24.5 million weekend, but still managed to top the domestic box office. With an underwhelming performance, it remains uncertain if Fox will take on a fourth Narnia picture. Disney had previously dumped the family franchise following a disappointing first sequel.
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first film in the series, opened with a franchise-best $65.6 million in 2005 -- en route to ring up $291.7 million domestically. The May 2008 sequel, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, debuted with $55 million and collected $141.6 million domestically.
• The weekend's only other wide opener -- the Sony-distributed action thriller The Tourist, starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp -- earned second place with a debut of just $17 million.
• The session's top 10 films fetched less than $83 million, roughly matching top performers' contributions in the same frame last year.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Black Swan, Megamind and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Disney's Tangled, a 3D animated adventure based on the Rapunzel fable, rang up $21.5 million during its second weekend to top the box office.
• Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1 settled for second place after two frames atop the box office rankings, earning $16.7 million for the weekend -- and now $244.2 million in cumulative box office after three weeks. That puts it comfortably ahead of any of the six previous Potter pictures for a similar span of time.
• The weekend's only wide opener -- Relativity-distributed martial arts Western The Warrior's Way -- debuted weekly in ninth place with only $3.1 million.
• Collectively, the top 10 films rang up $75 million, or 14% less than top performers in the same frame last year. That's the third consecutive year-over-year weekend downturn for the holiday box office season, which began the weekend before Thanksgiving.
• Meanwhile, the weekend went very well for Fox Searchlight's Black Swan. The suspense thriller about ballet dancers directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler), Black Swan dove into 18 theaters in eight markets and came up roses with $1.4 million for a Searchlight-record $77,459 per venue. It opens wider on Friday.
  
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Megamind and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• In a close race, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1 remained the #1 movie with $50.3 million over Thanksgiving weekend. The next-to-last movie in the series raised its domestic total to $220.4 million after just 10 days in theaters, according to distributor Warner Bros. The film also has taken in $389.2 million overseas, giving it a worldwide total of $609.6 million.
• Tangled, a 3D animated adventure based on the Rapunzel fable, was easily the top grosser among the new pictures with a surprisingly strong $49.1 million in second place and a $69 million cume since unspooling Wednesday in the biggest Disney-branded animated debut in years. The film far exceeded industry expectations, delivering the second-biggest Thanksgiving debut ever behind Toy Story 2, which had a $57.4 million opening in 1999.
  
• The other Wednesday openers did not fare as well. Sony Screen Gem's musical Burlesque kicked up $11.8 million in fourth place during the weekend for a $17.2 million cume since its midweek bow. Fox's romantic comedy Love and Other Drugs earned $9.9 million in sixth place for the three days and a five-day cume of $14 million. CBS Films' Dwayne Johnson action film Faster snagged $8.6 million in seventh place for a $12.2 million cume.
• Collectively, the weekend top 10 rung up $170.5 million, or 1% less than top performers in the same frame last year.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Megamind and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter, AP
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• The newest Harry Potter film cast his biggest box-office spell yet with a franchise record $125.1 million domestically over opening weekend. In terms of revenue, that puts Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1 ahead of the series' best previous debut of $102.7 million for 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
• Factoring in today's higher admission prices, the latest movie had roughly the same size audience as the franchise's best previous draws -- Goblet of Fire and 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which launched the series. Deathly Hallows and those two earlier movies each sold around 16 million tickets in their first weekend.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1 landed at #6 on the domestic revenue chart for biggest opening weekends, a list headed by 2008's The Dark Knight with $158.4 million. It also was this year's second-biggest debut, behind Iron Man 2, which is #5 on the all-time chart with $128.1 million.
• After two weeks on top, DreamWorks Animation's Megamind fell to #2 with $16.2 million -- and a cumulative total now past the $100 million mark ($109.5 million).
  
• Opening pretty weakly for Lionsgate at #5 was the debut of the Russell Crowe drama, The Next Three Days, with $6.8 million.
• Collectively, top 10 finishers in the the holiday box office season's first frame rung up $185.3 million. That was 25% less than top performers in a comparable frame last year topped by The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Megamind, RED and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter, AP
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• DreamWorks Animation's Megamind was the #1 movie for the second weekend in a row. The 3D comedy, featuring Will Ferrell as the voice of a super villain, made just over $30 million this weekend -- and now nearly $90 million overall.
• Opening in second place is the 20th Century Fox action thriller Unstoppable, starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine as railroad workers trying to stop a massive runaway train. The film made $23.5 million in its debut.
• Among the weekend's other new releases, Skyline opened in fourth place with $11.7 million. The Universal Pictures sci-fi thriller depicts aliens invading and destroying Los Angeles. And Morning Glory, a Paramount comedy set in a network morning show starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton, opened at #5 with about $9.6 million.
• The top 10 films in the latest frame collected $110.4 million, or 12% less than top performers in the same session in 2009.
• Coming up -- the home stretch to the box-office year will feature a number of limited-release "prestige pictures" vying for promotional bang from the year-end awards season.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Megamind, RED and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter, AP
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• DreamWorks Animation's Megamind debuted as the #1 movie for the weekend with $47.7 million. Distributed in a mix of 2D and 3D locations, 66% of its opening weekend earnings came from 3D screenings.
  
• In other debuts, Warner Bros.' Due Date opened at a strong #2 with $33.5 million, while Tyler Perry's drama For Colored Girls premiered solidly for Lionsgate -- in third-place with $20.1 million.
• Last weekend's champion, Saw 3D, slipped all the way down to #5 with $8.2 million -- down a steep 66 percent from its opening-weekend revenue. Halloween is over -- hello!
  
• On an industry-wide basis, the weekend was very strong -- and even set a record for the best first weekend in November (previously $153 million in 2003). Overall revenues came in at $155 million, up 29.5 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when A Christmas Carol led with $30.1 million.
  
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Megamind, Red, Hereafter, The Social Network and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter, AP
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• On this Halloween weekend, horror fans flocked to Lionsgate's seventh and final chapter in its lucrative slasher franchise, as Saw 3D earned an estimated $24.2 million.
• Saw 3D boasted more than 2,100 3D locations among 2,808 total engagements -- with 3D venues contributing 92% of its weekend gross.
• The solid tally for Saw 3D was still well short of a franchise record -- in fact, it had the third lowest opening in the series. Saw III bowed with a series-best $33.6 million in 2006 on the way to $80.3 million in U.S. and Canadian coin. The franchise's top domestic run came a year earlier, when Saw II fetched $87 million following a $31 million opening. But this year was a step up from last, when Saw VI opened with a disappointing $14.1 million and rang up only $27.9 million overall domestically.
• Last weekend's champion, Paranormal Activity 2, slipped to #2 with $16.5 million -- taking the 10-day haul for Paramount Pictures' scary movie sequel to $65.7 million.
• On an industry-wide basis, the weekend was strong. Top 10 finishers rung up a collective $83.8 million, or 13% more than top performers in the same frame last year.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Red, Hereafter, The Social Network, The Town, Conviction and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Doing better than experts predicted, Paramount's Paranormal Activity 2 topped the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated $41.5 million -- the best debut ever by a horror film.
• Paranormal Activity 2 opened in 3,216 locations and earned more during its first weekend than its predecessor rang up in its first four weeks. The prequel also wiped from the record books a $40.6 million bow by 2009 horror pic Friday the 13th.
• The original Paranormal Activity opened in September 2009 with $77,873 from just 12 theaters, part of a low-profile launch prior to the micro-budgeted original's wide expansion. A year ago this past weekend, the film topped domestic rankings with a $21 million session en route to an eventual $107.9 million domestic haul.
• Paramount also had the #2 movie with the stunt comedy Jackass 3D, which opened in first place last weekend. Jackass 3D pulled in $21.6 million, down sharply from its $50 million opening. But the movie raised its 10-day total to $87.1 million, more than either of the earlier two "Jackass" movies took in during their entire runs.
• After opening Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon's Hereafter in limited release a week earlier, Warner Bros. expanded the supernatural drama nationwide, and the film came in at #4 with $12 million. That slightly exceeded the studio's expectations, yet like most Eastwood dramas, it was a modest start. His films play to older adults who do not rush out on opening weekend in the same numbers as young crowds.
• Year-to-date revenues are at $8.65 billion at the end of the weekend and are running 3.36% ahead of last year (thanks to higher ticket prices). Attendance is still lagging by 2.15%. Fall-to-date box office tells a somewhat depressing story with revenues off by 6% vs. last year and attendance running 11% behind last season.
  
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Hereafter, Red, The Social Network, The Town and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Reuters, AP
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Jackass 3D, the third installment in a feature series about a crew of thrill junkies, crushed forecasts by selling an estimated $50 million in tickets during its opening weekend. Rather impressive considering the film's budget. Even though it was filmed in 3D -- rather than converted in post-production -- the film cost a modest $19 million to make.
• Industry experts had predicted a $30 million debut for the Paramount Pictures release. If projections hold up when final data are issued on Monday, Jackass 3D will beat 2003's Scary Movie 3 ($48.1 million) to rank as the biggest October opening of all time.
  
• All three Jackass films have now opened at #1. The first film released in 2002 opened with $23 million and finished with $64 million. The 2006 sequel led the field with a $29 million opening, and ended up with $73 million. MTV, which originally aired the "Jackass" TV series between 2000 and 2002, and Paramount are units of Viacom Inc.
• Opening at a distant #2 was Summit Entertainment's Red, a Bruce Willis action drama based on a DC Comics book. It earned $22.5 million, in line with expectations.
• Overall revenues totaled $133 million, down 4 percent from the same weekend last year. So far this year, domestic revenue is at $8.5 billion, 3.2 percent above 2009's record pace. But adding in higher ticket prices, attendance is down 2.3 percent from 2009.
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of Red, The Social Network, The Town and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Reuters, AP
  

Top 10 at the Weekend Box Office

Notes:

• Sony's The Social Network beat all newcomers to top the box office for the second weekend in a row. Falling a modest 31% in its second outing, the critically-lauded film sold another $15.5 million in tickets to build its cumulative earnings to $46.1 million.
• In so-so openings, Warner Bros.' romantic comedy Life as We Know It -- starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel -- earned an estimated $14.6 million to place second. Disney's Secretariat was third with $12.6 million.
• The only other large release, Rogue Pictures' Wes Craven-penned and –helmed 3D horror pic My Soul to Take scared up a disappointing $6.9 million for fifth place.
  
• Collectively, the pre-Columbus Day weekend's top 10 movies rang up $77.3 million, or almost 17% less than top performers in a comparable frame last year. (Though a federal holiday, Columbus Day isn't considered part of the box-office weekend, which remains a three-day session.)
  
• All figures are industry estimates. Final weekend figures will be released on Monday.
• Reviews of The Social Network, The Town and other movies not in the top 10 can be found by clicking on the Film Reviews archive icon at left.
• Sources: Hollywood.com, Hollywood Reporter