It looked as though it could be good weekend at America’s multiplexes. With Oscar winner George Clooney bringing his directorial skills and charm to Leatherheads (Universal), 2-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster and Little Miss Sunshine’s Abigail Breslin in the family-themed Nim’s Island (Fox) and Ben Stiller’s production company unleashing the film adaptation of Scott B. Smith’s The Ruins (Dreamworks/Paramount), studios and exhibitors certainly had high hopes. Instead, it’s all too quiet at box offices.

Sony’s holdover 21 will score a second consecutive weekend blackjack after grabbing $5.01M on its 2nd Friday. The Kevin Spacey-produced card-counting  thriller should reach $15M for the 3-day, which will be enough to win the weekend and bring its 10-day domestic cume to a healthy $46.4M.

The Clooney-directed Leatherheads, also starring Oscar winner Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski from NBC’s The Office, has struggled to only $4.55M on its opening day compared to an equally lackluster $4.1M for Nim’s Island. The Foster/Breslin family film will likely wind up #2 for the weekend with about $14.35M compared to $14.1M or so for the period football comedy.

For Foster, Nim’s Island is only the 6th-best opening of her career.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 JODIE FOSTER OPENINGS
1. Panic Room - $30M opening
2. Inside Man - $28.9M opening
3. Flight Plan - $24.6M opening
4. Contact - $20.5M opening
5. Maverick - $17.2M opening
6. Nim’s Island - $14.35M opening (estimate)
7. Silence of the Lambs - $13.7M opening
8. The Brave One - $13.4M opening
9. Sommersby - $8.1M opening
10. Anna & the King - $5.2M opening

And for Clooney, arguably our most popular movie star, Leatherheads is only the 7th-best opening of his already legendary career.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 GEORGE CLOONEY OPENINGS
1. Batman & Robin - $42.8M opening
2. The Perfect Storm - $41.3M opening
3. Ocean’s Twelve - $39.1M opening
4. Ocean’s Eleven - $38.1M opening
5. Ocean’s Thirteen - $36.1M opening
6. Three Kings - $15.8M opening
7. Leatherheads - $14.1M opening (estimate)
8. Intolerable Cruelty - $12.5M opening
9. The Peacemaker - $12.3M opening
10. Out of Sight - $12M opening

Fox’s Horton Hears a Who is continuing to hold strong. The well-reviewed CGI animated film topped $2.6M in sales on Friday, and it’ll finish #4 for the weekend with an estimated $9.1M. Horton’s new domestic cume will be $131M by Monday morning.

The Ben Stiller-produced The Ruins, a grisly, R-rated horror flick based on a popular novel, scared up just $2.7M on Friday, and that will likely translate to only $7.2M for the weekend, good for 5th place. The market for horror movies that are rated R is dead. Expect to see more films in the genre to show up with PG-13 ratings, appealing to a broader audience like last year’s 1408 and the recent Shutter.

Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones doc Shine a Light (Paramount Vantage) has opened decently at 276 locations, many of those with big screen IMAX presentations. Excellent reviews have helped the film to about $610,000 on its opening day, and it’ll likely grab $2.1M for the weekend for a $7,625 PTA, 4th-best Per Theatre Average for the frame.

IFC’s Flight of the Red Balloon seems headed for the best 3-day PTA of the weekend. My early rough estimate is for the French film starring Juliette Binoche to finish the weekend with about $18,000 at each of its 2 theatrical engagements. Meanwhile, Wong Kar-Wai’s My Blueberry Nights (Weinstein), on 5 screens, should generate about $13,000 per, followed by the Jewish-themed Jellyfish (Zeitgeist), Shine a Light, and Magnolia holdover Priceless, starring Audrey Tatou.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. NEW – Flight of the Red Balloon (IFC Films) – 2 locations - $18,000 PTA
2. NEW – My Blueberry Nights (Weinstein) – 5 locations - $13,000 PTA
3. NEW – Jellyfish (Zeitgeist) – 4 locations - $10,250 PTA
4. NEW – Shine a Light (Paramount Vantage) – 276 locations - $7,625 PTA
5. Priceless (IDP Films) – 26 locations - $6,231 PTA
6. A Four Letter Word (Ebrem Entertainment) – 1 location - $6,000 PTA
7. 21 (Sony) – 2,653 locations - $5,677 PTA
8. Leatherheads (Universal) – 2,777 locations - $5,079 PTA
9. Flawless (Magnolia) – 29 locations - $4,655 PTA
10. My Brother is an Only Child (Thinkfilm) – 5 locations - $4,400 PTA

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. 21 (Sony) - $5.01M - $1,892 PTA - $36.4M cume
2. NEW – Leatherheads (Universal) - $4.55M - $1,475 PTA - $4.55M cume
3. NEW – Nim’s Island (Fox) - $4.1M - $1,285 PTA - $4.1M cume
4. NEW – The Ruins (Dreamworks/Paramount) - $2.7M - $960 PTA - $2.7M cume
5. Horton Hears a Who (Fox) - $2.62M - $735 PTA - $124.5M cume
6. Superhero Movie (MGM/Weinstein) - $1.7M - $574 PTA - $13.1M cume
7. Drillbit Taylor (Paramount) - $1.07M - $399 PTA - $23.1M cume
8. Shutter (Fox) - $1.06M - $503 PTA - $21.3M cume
9. Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) - $1M - $644 PTA - $35.2M cume
10. 10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros) - $825,000 - $353 PTA - $87.3M cume
11. Stop Loss (Paramount/Dreamworks) - $775,000 - $599 PTA - $6.6M cume
12. NEW – Shine a Light (Paramount Vantage) - $610,000 - $2,210 PTA - $610,000 cume
13. The Bank Job (Lionsgate) -$500,000 - $421 PTA - $25.5M cume
14. College Road Trip (Disney) - $485,000 - $284 PTA - $39.7M cume
15. Run Fatboy Run (Picturehouse) - $445,000 - $399 PTA - $3.5M cume
16. Under the Same Moon (Weinstein) - $405,000 - $927 PTA - $7.6M cume
*Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Focus) - $205,000 - $408 PTA - $10M cume
*The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) - $87,000 - $757 PTA - $2.4M cume
*In Bruges (Focus) - $67,000 - $354 PTA - $6.6M cume
*Married Life (Sony Classics) - $52,000 - $441 PTA - $824,000 cume
*NEW – Priceless (IDP Films) - $41,000 - $1,577 PTA - $175,000 cume
*NEW – Flawless (Magnolia) - $34,000 - $1,172 PTA - $240,000 cume
*The Band’s Visit (Sony Classics) - $32,000 - $269 PTA - $2M cume
*NEW – My Blueberry Nights (Weinstein) - $18,000 - $3,536 PTA - $18,000 cume
*NEW – Meet Bill (First Look) - $15,000 - $403 PTA - $15,000 cume
*Planet B-Boy (Elephant Eye Films) - $15,000 - $1,500 PTA - $113,000 cume
*Snow Angels (Warner Independent) - $12,000 - $261 PTA - $213,000 cume
*NEW – Jellyfish (Zeitgeist) - $11,000 - $2,680 PTA - $11,000 cume
*NEW – Flight of the Red Balloon (IFC Films) - $10,000 - $4,886 PTA - $10,000 cume
*The Grand (Anchor Bay) - $9,000 - $818 PTA - $55,000 cume
*Shelter (Regent) - $7,250 - $725 PTA - $52,000 cume
*NEW – Chapter 27 (Peace Arch)- $6,250 - $1,250  PTA - $24,000 cume
*My Brother is an Only Child (Thinkfilm) - $5,190 - $1,038 PTA - $19,502 cume
*Happy Valley (Independent) - $3,713 - $928 PTA - $36,000 cume
*NEW – 3 Amis (Independent) - $2,931 - $977 PTA - $2,931 cume
*A Four Letter Word (Ebrem Entertainment) - $1,922 - $1,922 PTA - $18,000 cume
*NEW – Sex and Death 101 (Anchor Bay) - $1,881 - $627 PTA - $1,881 cume
*Backseat (Truly Indie) - $1,830 - $915 PTA - $8,788 cume
*NEW – The Unknown Woman (Independent) - $1,046 - $523 PTA - $1,046 cume
*NEW – Water Lilies (Koch Lorber) - $908 - $908 PTA - $908 cume
*Boarding Gate (Magnolia) - $685 - $685 PTA - $2,192 cume
*NEW – Tuya’s Marriage (Music Box Pictures) - $636 - $636 PTA - $636 cume

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. 21 (Sony) - $15.05M - $5,677 PTA - $46.4M cume
2. NEW – Nim’s Island (Fox) - $14.35M - $4,085 PTA - $14.35M cume
3. NEW – Leatherheads (Universal) - $14.1M - $5,079 PTA - $14.1M cume
4. Horton Hears a Who (Fox) - $9.1M - $2,558 PTA - $131M cume
5. NEW – The Ruins (Dreamworks/Paramount) - $7.29M - $2,592 PTA - $7.29M cume
6. Superhero Movie (MGM/Weinstein) - $5.01M - $1,693 PTA - $16.5M cume
7. Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) - $3.45M - $2,220 PTA - $37.6M cume
8. Drillbit Taylor (Paramount) - $3.34M - $1,236 PTA - $25.4M cume
9. Shutter (Fox) - $2.99M - $1,409 PTA - $23.3M cume
10. 10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros) - $2.81M - $1,205 PTA - $89.3M cume
11. Stop Loss (Paramount/Dreamworks) - $2.32M - $1,797 PTA - $8.2M cume
12. NEW – Shine a Light (Paramount Vantage) - $2.1M - $7,625 PTA - $2.1M cume
13. The Bank Job (Lionsgate) -$1.77M - $1,493 PTA - $26.8M cume
14. Under the Same Moon (Weinstein) - $1.66M - $3,800 PTA - $8.8M cume
15. College Road Trip (Disney) - $1.6M - $939 PTA - $40.8M cume
16. Run Fatboy Run (Picturehouse) - $1.35M - $1,217 PTA - $4.4M cume
*Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Focus) - $720,000 - $1,431 PTA - $10.5M cume
*The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) - $375,000 - $3,261 PTA - $2.7M cume
*In Bruges (Focus) - $245,000 - $1,296 PTA - $6.8M cume
*Married Life (Sony Classics) - $192,000 - $1,627 PTA - $965,000 cume
*NEW – Priceless (IDP Films) - $162,000 - $6,231 PTA - $296,000 cume
*The Band’s Visit (Sony Classics) - $138,000 - $1,160 PTA - $2.1M cume
*NEW – Flawless (Magnolia) - $135,000 - $4,655 PTA - $341,000 cume
*NEW – My Blueberry Nights (Weinstein) - $65,000 - $13,000 PTA - $65,000 cume
*NEW – Meet Bill (First Look) - $50,000 - $1,389 PTA - $50,000 cume
*Snow Angels (Warner Independent) - $41,000 - $891 PTA - $242,000 cume
*NEW – Jellyfish (Zeitgeist) - $41,000 - $10,250 PTA - $41,000 cume
*Planet B-Boy (Elephant Eye Films) - $39,000 - $39,000 PTA - $137,000 cume
*NEW – Flight of the Red Balloon (IFC Films) - $36,000 - $18,000 PTA - $36,000 cume
*The Grand (Anchor Bay) - $29,000 - $2,636 PTA - $75,000 cume
*Shelter (Regent) - $25,000 - $2,500 PTA - $70,000 cume
*My Brother is an Only Child (Thinkfilm) - $22,000 - $4,400 PTA - $37,000 cume
*Chapter 27 (Peace Arch)- $18,000 - $3,600  PTA - $35,000 cume
*Happy Valley (Independent) - $11,100 - $2,775 PTA - $44,000 cume
*NEW – 3 Amis (Independent) - $10,250 - $3,417 PTA - $10,250 cume
*NEW – Sex and Death 101 (Anchor Bay) - $6,500 - $2,167 PTA - $6,500 cume
*A Four Letter Word (Ebrem Entertainment) - $6,000 - $6,000 PTA - $22,000 cume
*Backseat (Truly Indie) - $5,000 - $2,500 PTA - $12,000 cume
*NEW – The Unknown Woman (Independent) - $3,609 - $1,804 PTA - $3,609 cume
*NEW – Water Lilies (Koch Lorber) - $3,133 - $3,133 PTA - $3,133 cume
*NEW – Tuya’s Marriage (Music Box Pictures) - $2,194- $2,194 PTA - $2,194 cume
*Boarding Gate (Magnolia) - $2,192 - $2,192 PTA - $32,000 cume

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