Wide Release

Bride Wars - Starring Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen, and more. As if weddings weren’t stressful enough already. Two best friends become rivals when the moments of their lives seem to clash with one another. Always planning to be each other’s maid of honor at their respective weddings; their dream location can only schedule their weddings on the exact same day.

Not Easily Broken - Starring Morris Chestnut, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, and more. After years of disagreeing on what true happiness, success, and love really are, Dave and Clarice Johnson have finally reached a breaking point in their marriage. When Clarice is hurt in a car accident, the obvious truth that more than just her injuries need immediate attention is exposed. Their odds of making it worsen as Clarice begins to see a physical therapist, and Dave develops a friendship with Julie and her teenage son Bryson. The acceptance and comfort he finds in them stirs his longing for a family and a passionate partner. As temptation tugs at Dave and Clarice pulls farther away, they must confront whether their vows are true or not worth the words spoken.

The Unborn - Starring Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Meagan Good, and more. A young woman begins seeing things that aren’t really there and dealing with frightening situations that don’t seem to be affecting anyone else. A doctor believes the things she is going through are only because it is something that all twins go through sometime in their lives. The only problem is that she is an only child and knows nothing of a twin she was supposed to have.

Gran Torino, The Reader, Last Chance Harvey, and Che are all expanding.

Mickey Rourke is the newest actor to be added to Sylvester Stallone’s next directorial effort. Already my pick for comeback of the year, Rourke will join Sly, and the call sheet of actors we’ve mentioned over the last few days and weeks. You have Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Forest Whitaker. Rourke will play an arms dealer who becomes the go-to guy for a group of mercenaries planning to topple a South American dictator.

The Expendables begins filming in March.

Source: Variety

Stay with Popcorn Junkies all this year for the biggest news, movie reviews, and some new columns that are sure to shake up the way your week goes. Happy New Year from Popcorn Junkies everyone and here’s to hoping 2009 is the best year yet!

Marley & Me sold an estimated $37 million worth of tickets during the traditional three-day weekend beginning on Friday, distributor 20th Century Fox said on Sunday. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson star in the adaptation of a bestseller about a couple and their golden retriever.

The movie about “life, love and family” — according to Fox senior vice president of domestic distribution Bert Livingston — played strongly with audiences of all ages seeking feel-good entertainment.

As with the four other new releases, Marley & Me opened on Thursday, and earned $14.7 million — a new Christmas Day record.

The old tally, set in 2001 when Ali opened to $10.2 million, was also broken by the new Adam Sandler comedy Bedtime Stories and by Benjamin Button, starring Aniston’s ex- husband Brad Pitt .

Bedtime Stories was No. 2 for the weekend with $28.1 million and its Christmas Day haul of $10.5 million drove its total to $38.6 million, said Walt Disney Pictures . Sandler plays a man whose bedtime stories come true in real life.

Benjamin Button, in which Pitt plays a man who ages backward, did better on Christmas Day with a $12 million opening. Its weekend tally of $27 million took its total to $39 million, said Paramount Pictures . The adaptation of an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story has racked up five nominations from the Golden Globes and eight from the Critics Choice Awards .

Tom Cruise’s World War II thriller Valkyrie, about a failed plot to kill Adolf Hitler , opened at No. 4 with $21.5 million for the weekend and $30 million for the four days — doing much better than many pundits had predicted. The United Artists movie has been plagued by bad publicity and shifting release dates.

The only dud among the rookies was Lionsgate ’s comic book adaptation The Spirit, which opened at No. 9 with $6.5 million for the weekend and $10.4 million for the four-day period.

Last weekend’s champ, the Jim Carrey comedy Yes Man, fell to No. 5 with $16.5 million. The 10-day tally for the Warner Bros . release rose to $49.6 million.

Fox is a unit of News Corp . Paramount Pictures is a unit of Viacom Inc . Walt Disney Pictures is a unit of Walt Disney Co .

United Artists is a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , which is privately held. Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp . Warner Bros is a unit of Time Warner Inc .

Wide Release

Bedtime Stories - Starring Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Courteney Cox, and more. Sometimes our imaginations are what take us to the best places. Experience this tale about a hotel handyman whose life changes when the lavish bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond, and more. “I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918 to the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be.

Marley And Me - Starring Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Alan Arkin, Kathleen Turner, and more. And you thought you had a bad dog! A family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog.

Valkyrie - Starring Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and more. At the height of WW2, a group of high-ranking German officers hatched a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and seize power of the military command in order to end the war. The operation was codenamed “Valkyrie”, for the emergency plan that was meant to be used in case of a revolt against the Nazi government. This plan had been modified by the conspirators to ensure their success, but for various reasons the plot failed when finally carried out on 20 July 1944. The conspirators of the inner circle were shot after a kangaroo trial or sentenced to death soon after.

The Spirit - Starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson, Jaime King, and more. Down these mean streets a man must come. A hero born, murdered, and born again. Rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the beyond as The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight against the bad forces from the shadows of Central City. The Octopus who kills anyone unfortunate enough to see his face…has other plans. He’s going to wipe out the entire city.

Limited Release

Last Chance Harvey - Starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. In London for his daughter’s wedding, a rumpled man finds his romantic spirits lifted by a new woman in his life.

Revolutionary Road - Starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Based on a novel by Richard Yates.

Waltz With Bashir - One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs. Every night, the same number of beasts. The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War of the early eighties. Ari is surprised that he can’t remember a thing anymore about that period of his life. Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to creep up in surreal images.

Wide Release

Seven Pounds - Starring Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and many more. Sometimes you don’t necessarily need a reason to help out someone else. An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.

The Tale Of Despereaux - Starring the voice talents of Matthew Broderick, Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman, William H. Macy, and more. Follow along with a tale of three unlikely heroes - a misfit mouse who prefers reading books to eating them, an unhappy rat who schemes to leave the darkness of the dungeon, and a bumbling servant girl with cauliflower ears - whose fates are intertwined with that of the castle’s princess.

Yes Man - Starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, John Michael Higgins, and more. It isn’t always easy to tell someone no so Carl Allen won’t do it for a very long time. Witness the struggles he faces as he attempts to say “yes” to everything for an entire year.

Limited Release

The Class - Teacher and novelist François Bégaudeau plays a version of himself as he negotiates a year with his racially mixed students from a tough Parisian neighborhood.

The Wrestler - Starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and more. Making your way to the top is something that no-one ever said would be easy. Experience this intense drama centered on retired professional wrestler named Randy “The Ram” Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.

Our own Jenny Rushing has already seen it so check out her review here.

Moscow, Belgium - Matty, a 41-year old mother of three with a husband in his midlife-crisis, meets 29-year old Johnny, a camion driver, who takes an interest in her.

Despite mediocre reviews, the film held fairly steady throughout the weekend, falling slightly shy of our $36 million estimate.

The Vince Vaughn-Reese Witherspoon yuletide comedy came in second with $13.3 million, bringing its three-week total to just under $88 million, while “Twilight” faded to the third spot during its fourth week with just over $8 million.

The teen vampire romance managed to reach one milestone, however, grossing a total of $150 million — the amount director Catherine Hardwicke surmised the movie would have to suck in for sequel “New Moon” to get the go ahead. Obviously, Summit executives saw the writing on the wall weeks ago and have hired Chris Weitz (”About a Boy,” “American Pie”) to direct next fall’s follow-up.

Rounding out the top five are Disney’s doggie flick “Bolt” with $7.5 million and Baz Luhrmann’s underperforming “Australia” with $4.3 million.

The weekend’s other new major release — “Nothing Like the Holidays,” starring John Leguizamo and Debra Messing — got coal in its stocking with a measly $3.5 million during its first weekend.

Also of note is the Clint Eastwood-starring “Gran Torino” (rumored to be the actor-director’s last turn in front of the camera).

Although it opened in only six theaters (three in New York, three in L.A.), the film scored the best per screen average, $47,333, with a gross of only $284,000.

Credit: Entertainment Weekly

Wide Release

The Day The Earth Stood Still - Starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, and more. In this remake of the 1951 classic; aliens land on Earth and have a message for all humans: evacuate their planet or everyone and everything will be destroyed.

Delgo - Featuring the voices of Freddie Prinze Jr., Val Kilmer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Chris Kattan, and many more. Delgo, an adventurous but naive teenager, must rally his group of friends to protect their world from conflict between the Lockni and Nohrin people.

Nothing Like The Holidays - Starring Debra Messing, John Leguizamo, Alfred Molina, and many more. A Puerto Rican, family living in the area of Humboldt Park in west Chicago, face what may be their last Christmas together.

Limited Release

Doubt - Starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Viola Davis, and more. Set in 1964, Doubt centers on a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him abusing a black student. He denies the charges, and much of the play’s quick-fire dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality and authority.

Dark Streets - Chaz Davenport is a dashing bachelor who owns what promises to become the hottest new nightclub in town–if only the lights would stay on. Surrounded by the sumptuous blues music he adores, and with his pick of the gorgeous women who perform their sensual dance numbers onstage every night, Chaz is the envy of every man. But with the city thrown into darkness by frequent blackouts and a menacing loan shark closing in, Chaz is in danger of losing the club–and far more.

Che - Starring Benicio del Toro. It is 1964 and well-known Argentine revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara travels to New York City to address the United Nations.

Gran Torino - Starring Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Hughes, Christopher Carley, and more. Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski’s prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.

Where God Left His Shoes - A failed boxer struggles to find a job and an apartment for his family on Christmas Eve.

Wide Release

Cadillac Records - Starring Adrien Brody, Cedric The Entertainer, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Mos Def, and many more. In this tale of sex, violence, race, and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, follow along with the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America’s musical legends including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.

Nobel Son - Starring Danny DeVito, Ted Danson, Alan Rickman, Eliza Dushku, Bill Pullman, and many more. Barkley Michaelson is in a deep life rut. He’s struggling to finish his PhD thesis when his father Eli Michaelson wins the Nobel Prize for chemistry. Barkley and his mother, Sarah, a renowned forensic psychiatrist, now have the ill-fortune of living with a man-eating monster whose philandering ways have gotten less and less discrete. As if Barkley’s world is not bad enough, on the eve of his father receiving the Nobel, Barkley is kidnapped and the requested ransom is the $2,000,000 in Nobel prize money. Needless to say, Eli refuses to pay it and so starts a venomous tale of familial dysfunction, lust, betrayal and ultimately revenge. In the words of Michel De Montaigne, the 16th century philosopher: “There is more barbarity in eating a man alive than in eating him dead.”

Punisher: War Zone - Starring Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Colin Salmon, and more. Frank Castle has not been the same man since his family was brutally murdered and taken from him. Agent Paul Budiansky, the ex-partner of a murdered undercover Fed, joins the NYPD’s “Punisher Task Force” to help bring Castle to justice, once and for all. Meanwhile, a facially mutilated Russoti recovers from his run-in with the Punisher with revenge on his mind and recruits a massive army of psychotic killers, gangbangers, and mobsters under his new alias “Jigsaw.”

Limited Release

Ciao - A man dies very unexpectedly and leaves behind two men: Jeff, his best friend and Andrea, an Italian he’s been corresponding with online. Jeff informs Andrea of Mark’s passing; Andrea writes back to express his shock and sympathies. On a whim, they continue their correspondence and a rapport grows between them. They eventually meet, where they extend their e-mail exchanges into more personal and intimate conversations. They talk about their respective countries, their jobs, their families, their lives. Mostly, they talk about Mark. What began as a tragedy that linked two strangers from different ends of the world becomes a deeply realized friendship that may change their lives forever.

Extreme Movie - A sketch comedy movie about the joys and embarrassments of teen sex. But mostly the embarrassments.

Frost/Nixon - A dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon.

Timecrimes - A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.

The Warner Bros . release, featuring Witherspoon and Vaughn as a couple suffering through four separate family holiday gatherings, raised its total to $46.7 million since opening Wednesday to get a head start on the long weekend.

In terms of revenue, it was Hollywood ’s second-biggest Thanksgiving period ever. The top 12 movies took in $223.7 million from Wednesday to Sunday, trailing only the $232.2 million haul over Thanksgiving in 2000.

Summit Entertainment’s vampire romance “Twilight,” which had a huge No. 1 opening the previous weekend, took a steep 62 percent decline from its $69.6 million debut and was neck-and-neck for second place with Disney’s animated family flick “Bolt.”

Based on Sunday’s estimates, “Bolt” had a slight lead with $26.6 million for the weekend, compared to $26.4 million for “Twilight.” Their rankings could change once final numbers are released Monday.

“Twilight’ is still a phenomenon, but you can’t really maintain that level of intensity week after week,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

“Twilight” raised its 10-day total to $119.7 million, while “Bolt” lifted its sum to $66.9 million.

Hollywood typically releases a handful of holiday-themed movies starting in November, but “Four Christmases” has the market virtually to itself this season.

“It was the perfect time. It’s the only movie out there that deals with Christmas ,” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

The only potential competition comes Dec. 12 with the John Leguizamo tale ” Nothing Like the Holidays .”

The weekend’s other new wide release, the Nicole Kidman - Hugh Jackman epic ” Australia ,” opened at No. 5 with $14.8 million for the weekend and $20 million since debuting Wednesday.

The 20th Century Fox film reunites Kidman with ” Moulin Rouge ” director Baz Luhrmann for a World War II -era romance between an aristocratic British woman and an Australian ranch hand .

Sean Penn’s drama “Milk” got off to a great start in limited release, coming in at No. 10 with $1.4 million in just 36 theaters. The film had a strong average of $38,375 a cinema, compared with $9,571 in 3,310 theaters for “Four Christmases.”

“Milk,” an Academy Awards contender released by Focus Features , stars Penn as gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk , the San Francisco city supervisor slain by a colleague who also killed the mayor. The film expands to more theaters Friday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. “Four Christmases,” $31.7 million.

2. “Bolt,” $26.6 million.

3. “Twilight,” $26.4 million.

4. ” Quantum of Solace ,” $19.5 million.

5. “Australia,” $14.8 million.

6. ” Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa ,” $14.5 million.

7. “Transporter 3,” $12.3 million.

8. ” Role Models ,” $5.3 million.

9. “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” $1.7 million.

10. “Milk,” $1.4 million.