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PREDICTION – $11 million opening – $30 million total

Shoot 'Em Up

There are plenty of examples of films of like Shoot 'Em Up underperforming at the box office (most recently Lucky Number Slevin and Smokin' Aces), but the buzz coming out of preview screenings at this year's Comic-Con was very high, and the marketing push is already into full swing. With Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti (finally playing against type-casting) at the lead, and Monica Bellucci providing the eye candy for the primary demographic, this could be a decent performer for New Line. Unfortunately, it's opening against another film that will hit the same demographic – 3:10 to Yuma - so its opening will be negatively affected by the direct competition.

PREDICTION – $10 million opening – $32 million total

Sydney White

Amanda Bynes has a fairly consistent track record: She's the Man opened to $10.7 in 2006 and What a Girl Wants opened at $11.4 in 2003. At least the trend is on the decline.

PREDICTION – $9 million opening – $30 million total

Mr. Woodcock

School for Scoundrels opened at $8.6 million last year and Seann William Scott's next movie (Trainwreck) could be DTV.

PREDICTION – $8 million opening – $18 million total

Across the Universe

Ever since director Julie Taymor got into a publicized battle with Sony over the final cut and length of this film, it was destined for status as a bomb. Filmmakers may make art, but it's the studios that almost always know how marketable the film actually is. They obviously don't think Taymor's cut is. Taymor's cinematic history (Titus, Frida) doesn't fill me with confidence, or that this is her first film since directing The Lion King musical on Broadway. It gets even worse if you throw in star Evan Rachel Wood's recent press about actually having sex with her rocker boyfriend in his latest video. To think I actually respected her as an up and coming actress.

PREDICTION – $4 million opening – $12 million total

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