Box Office: Inventing Toys and Whipping Zombies

Despite last week's menu of science fiction and dance movies it turns out the public was hungry for something else: Meatballs. The animated family comedy held onto first place for the second week, beating out its nearest competitor by about $10 million. Here's the top five:

1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: $25 million
2. Surrogates: $14.9 million
3. Fame: $10 million
4. The Informant!: $6.6 million
5. Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself: $4.8 million

Four new releases this week:

The Invention of Lying
What's It All About: Ricky Gervais directs and stars in this comedy set in a world where everyone tells the truth and one man learns the art of lying.
Why It Might Do Well: Gervais is the star of the British version of The Office, and having Jennifer Garner and Tina Fey in the cast can't hurt.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The title just sounds so... deceitful.
Number of Theaters: 1,700
Prediction: $8 million

Toy Story / Toy Story 2 (3D)
What's It All About: Two Pixar classics about a group of toys belonging to a young boy named Andy return to the big screen in glorious 3D.
Why It Might Do Well: Two genuinely great films with the added attraction of 3D? What's not to like?
Why It Might Not Do Well: Both films have been available on home video and have been playing on TV for a very long time. Also, will younger audiences have the attention span to sit through two features?
Number of Theaters: 1,600
Prediction: $11 million



Whip it
What's It All About: A young beauty pageant contestant finds greater fulfillment in the sport of roller derby.
Why It Might Do Well: Juno's Ellen Page stars and the fact that this is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut may garner some attention.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Does most of the modern film-going audience even know what roller derby is?
Number of Theaters: 2,400
Prediction: $10 million

Zombieland
What's It All About: A group of misfit zombie fighters set out into a world over run by the walking dead to find the last Twinkie on Earth.
Why It Might Do Well: This reminds me in a pleasant way of Shaun of the Dead and the 92% score over at Rottentomatoes.com gives me hope. Also, Woody Harrelson is our head zombie killer.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The world may not be ready to see child star Abigail Breslin shooting zombies in the head.
Number of Theaters: 2,900
Prediction: $18 million


Does Meatballs have what it takes for a third shot at number one? Here's how I think the coming weekend will play out:
1. Zombieland
2. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
3. Toy Story/Toy Story 2 (3D)
4. Whip It
5. Surrogates

Ryan showed us how it's done by pulling of a perfect score (those are hard to come by these days). Way to go. Here's how we all did:
1. Ryan: 16
2. Smiggy: 11
3. WJDR: 9
3. Vera: 9
4. Gregory Rubinstein: 8
5. Matt: 6
5. Sebastian: 6
6. Garrett: 4
6. Brandon: 4
6. English Gavz: 4
6. lostinafog: 4

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.