Box-Office Oracle: Aug. 22 – Aug. 24, 2008

This is a very sad box office weekend. It's when they release trash and hope for the best.

Estimate: $15.2 million

More people want to see this than I would have thought. It's got that Legally Blond vibe. So it could jump up and surprise us.

Estimate: $14.9 million

In a perfect world this would repeat. But they are throwing so many niche comedies at it (Rocker, House Bunny) that I don't see how it could survive. Four comedies in the top ten this weekend. Five if you count Clone Wars. Zing!

Estimate: $13.4 million

I'll end up high here I'm sure. But I couldn't go any lower than $4000 per theater. That's like 500 seats sold in a weekend. 167 a day. 30 a show. That's not very much, is it?

Estimate: $11.1 million

The Dark Knight did so well that they delayed Harry Potter. It's at $800 million worldwide. Not shabby.

Estimate: $9.0 million

Do you think Lucas is even surprised anymore when people rail him? Or does he not even bother reading the vitriol? I suppose if I was that rich I'd salve my depression in a raft of cocaine and high end ladies of the evening.

Estimate: $6.9 million

Releasing this film is just cruel. What happened to all that promise Cube showed in Friday and Barbershop? I swear this movie has been released before.

Estimate: $5.7 million

They are called MIRRORS. And they could KILL you.

Estimate: $5.2 million

Yeah, I'm phoning this one in. Hey, if Hollywood can take the week off so can I!

Estimate: $4.5 million

And thus ends our sad box office weekend. Still, at almost $300 million worldwide this film has to be considered a success. We have only ourselves to blame for this mess.

Estimate: $3.6 million