Box Office: Lies of Ember in the Quarantined City

Despite having six new wide releases last week, only Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist cracked the top five. In its third week of release, Appaloosa expanded into an additional 1,031 theaters, allowing it to take the number five spot. Here's the top five.

1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua: $29.3 million
2. Eagle Eye: $17.7 million
3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: $11.3 million
4. Nights in Rodanthe: $7.3 million
5. Appaloosa: $5 million

Body of Lies
What's It All About: In this Ridley Scott film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a CIA agent tracking terrorist activity in Jordan, with Russell Crowe playing the veteran agent who helps him infiltrate the terrorist underground.
Why It Might Do Well: This film reteams DiCaprio with William Monahan, the screenwriter behind The Departed, and the flick is sporting a 70% fresh rating at rottentomatoes.com.
Why It Might Not Do Well: This being an election year, there are already enough lies kicking around.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $26 million





City of Ember
What's It All About: In a post-apocalyptic world, two teens must solve a mystery to prevent their city -- the last outpost of civilization -- from plunging into darkness.
Why It Might Do Well: With the likes of Bill Murray, Tim Robbins and Martin Landau in the cast, we certainly have cause for hope.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Can you really buy Bill Murray wearing that much bling?
Number of Theaters: 2,000
Prediction: $7 million

The Express
What's It All About: Rob Brown of Finding Forrester stars in this true tale about Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, with Dennis Quaid playing the coach that pushed him to greatness.
Why It Might Do Well: Rottentomatoes.com is giving this one 83%.
Why It Might Not Do Well: On a strictly personal level, sports movies leave me cold.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $12 million

Quarantine
What's It All About: In this remake of the Spanish horror film [REC], a TV news team is trapped inside an apartment building during an outbreak that turns its victims into zombie-like lunatics.
Why It Might Do Well: While I haven't seen [REC] (it wont' get a U.S. DVD release until after Quarantine plays theaters) I've heard a lot of good things about it, so maybe some of the magic will translate into the remake. Also, advertising has been heavy, and I've lost count of how many times I've seen that creepy shot of Jennifer Carpenter being dragged off into the darkness.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Some might not like having to bring spare underwear to a flick this scary.
Number of Theaters: 2,300
Prediction: $11 million

Once again relying on an intricate process involving the phases of the moon, the casting of chicken bones, and a magic 8 ball, here's my prediction for next week's top five:

1. Body of Lies
2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua
3. The Express
4. Quarantine
5. Eagle Eye

No perfect scores last week which I attribute to most of us not taking into account Appallosa going into wider release (which I should have pointed out last week). Here's how we all did:
1. cough: 13
1. Matt: 13
1. Romel: 13
1. VP: 13
1. Film Geek: 13
1. Ray: 13
1. hitesh choudhary: 13
2. Vera: 11
3. LostinaFog: 9
4. Alex Farquharson: 8
4. I Eat Robots: 8
4. AJ Wiley: 8
4. Max: 8
4. bill kelly: 8
5. NP: 7
6. Jessica Dillon: 6
6. Gregory Rubinstein: 6

Post your predictions for the top five movies in the comments section below before 5:00PM Eastern Time on Friday. One point for every top five movie correctly named, two points for every correct placement, and one extra point for the top movie.