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Scarlett Johansson was fun in Iron Man 2, but let's be realistic about the fact that her resume is comprised of a bunch of $25 million domestic performers. The one time where she was asked to carry a film as a female action lead, The Island, did not end well. While I'm not sure Jolie could carry a lousy romantic comedy to $67 million like Aniston did with The Bounty Hunter, I'm absolutely certain Aniston couldn't make a role like Salt work. As hot as Aniston has been over the last couple of years, she is still a couple of rungs below Jolie. I do think the x-factor is Julia Roberts, though. With the exception of The Mexican, it seems like every movie she has made since My Best Friend's Wedding has earned more than expected. Even Valentine's Day's opening weekend can be credited to her at least somewhat.

Beezus sounds like something a person might slur when drunk

Kim Hollis: Ramona and Beezus, the adaptation of a series of beloved Beverly Cleary children's books, opened to $7.8 million. How should Fox feel about this result?

Brett Beach: I am sure they dreamed (relatively) big but in their hearts they were probably expecting a figure like this. Parents with fond memories looking to introduce their children to the characters were the wild card for this breaking out bigger but it seems as if the pleasant but not enthusiastic reviews kept them away. I also have been told that Selena Gomez has a "following" from a Disney series but quick Google research made it seem that the more dominant enthusiasts were largely of the "counting down the days until she turns 18 next month" variety. I figured the film would fall in somewhere along the lines of recent fare like Kit Kittredge ($17 million final) or Nancy Drew ($25 million) and it looks like Ramona and Beezus will finish with around $20 million. And since the film only cost around $15 million to make, Fox is probably looking ahead to DVD and cable and not crying too much. (Quick shout out to Beverly Clearly who still lives in Portland, OR - as do I - where the series was set.)





Matthew Huntley: Fox should feel pretty good about this, especially when you consider the movie's low production budget (reportedly $15 million) and small advertising costs. Were audiences even aware Ramona and Beezus was opening? When did the trailers/TV spots play? Did anybody see any?

Clearly, Fox didn't expect this to open big and they'll get out of it about the same as they put in. By the time the ancillary markets come around, Ramona and Beezus should give the studio a profitable return, but not enough to warrant any bragging rights.

Josh Spiegel: Yeah, this has to be where Fox assumed things would land. Selena Gomez may have a following, but this isn't a Disney movie - it's an adaptation of a series of books I had forgotten existed. For the movie to do this well, with competition from 3-D animation, Fox should be thrilled. Like Kit Kittredge and Nancy Drew, Ramona and Beezus won't set the box office on fire, but it'll do a tidy amount.

Tom Houseman: Where's the Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing adaptation? No seriously, where is it? Do you know, Kim? You do, don't you. I need a Fudge movie in my life. If you're holding out on me, so help me God...

Kim Hollis: Tom, there was a 1995 TV show called Fudge that was adapted from both Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge. It starred no one you've ever heard of except for Eve Plumb. I don't even remember the show, frankly. I figure at some point some studio suit will figure out that all of Judy Blume's teen-targeted books would make great source material if updated for today's audiences. It's just a matter of time. (Incidentally, I had no idea that she had written a Fudge book as recently as 2002. You'll be stunned to hear that Fudge is only five, meaning that he is aging very, very slowly.)

Reagen Sulewski: This is one of those things where the back-end is so much larger than the theatrical that these figures are almost a side issue. I mean, you need the release to not be seen as a flop so that you get respect, but this will live forever as a rental/purchase.

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