SHOWBUZZDAILY EARLY FRIDAY BOXOFFICE REPORT

The Hollywood Reporter has preliminary Friday numbers, and while the day's boxoffice is looking like a close finish between GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE (Sony) and THE VOW (Screen Gems/Sony), with both at $7-7.5M for the day, the likelihood is that over the course of the weekend--considering that new openings are more frontloaded (especially genre items like Ghost Rider)--Vow will score its 2d consecutive win. SAFE HOUSE (Universal), which is also holding well with a $6.5M Friday, may pull ahead of Ghost Rider by Monday as well. An early guess is that Vow will take in about $24M by Sunday and Safe House around $22M, with Ghost Rider $20M. (All films should make an additional $4-5M on the holiday Monday.)

THIS MEANS WAR (20th) is a step behind, with $5-5.5M on Friday and perhaps $15M for the 3-day weekend. The fact that it won't even come close to The Vow's 2d weekend in release confirms the studio's decision not to battle that picture directly earlier in the week (though perhaps not their decision to make the woeful movie at all).

In a considerably smaller release, Disney's THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY made a little over $1M on Friday, and even with presumed matinee bumps, probably won't be over $5-6M for the weekend.

Stay with SHOWBUZZDAILY all weekend for updated boxoffice and analysis!


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