In the midst of Sundance Deals and mainstream news, here are some indie bites:

• While it won't be competing, Jam! reports that Guy Maddin's wonderful film My Winnipeg will screen on the opening night of Berlinale's International Forum of New Cinema program. (Check out my TIFF review here.) Personally, I wish it could compete and then take over the world, but I realize that Maddin hasn't gotten enough recognition yet. (He's seriously one of the most accessible filmmakers of strange fare out there. Go check him out if you haven't already.) While Winnipeg isn't competing, another production with Canadian roots is -- Amos Kollek's Restless.
• Meanwhile, Til Schweiger continues to face problems. After ticking people off with his risque all-ages comedy, now Variety reports that he's quit the German Film Academy in protest. Why? Because Keinohrhasen, the movie that's been making waves, wasn't considered for a German film award. The Academy claims they didn't register in time, and that should it get registered, it could be eligible in 2009. I guess that wasn't good enough for Schweiger.
• Remember that movie ban in China? Well, now Variety reports that The Water Horse will be the first foreign film to screen to bust through the ban, over the previously announced Atonement. The latter is screening on February 22, but Horse nabbed itself a February 16 screen date. Will this "blackout" continue? Is it all just a farce? Stay tuned!

For the final shopping weekend before Christmas, the Disney sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets took the top honors, but all of last week's other new releases had to take a backseat to the previous week's holdovers I Am Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks, both of which continued to do brisk business with Legend raking in a whopping total of $137.5 million since its release. The Chipmunks took in $83.7 million over the last two weeks, pretty much guaranteeing that Alvin will finally get that hula hoop. Here are the numbers for last weekend:

1. National Treasure: Book of Secrets: $45.5 million.
2. I Am Legend: $34.2 million.
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: $29 million.
4. Charlie Wilson's War: $9.6 million.
5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: $9.35 million.

All of this week's new releases came out for Christmas day rather than the usual Friday, so we've got three new movies that hit theaters yesterday, as well as one that went into wider release.

Aliens Versus Predator: Requiem
What's It All About: The lead critters from the Aliens and Predator franchises duke it out once again, with several unfortunate humans getting between them.
Why It Might Do Well: There's always room at the box office for a big old science fiction special effects extravaganza. Unlike the first AVP, this one is rated R, giving the gore hounds more bang for their buck.
Why It Might Not Do Well: While the creature action in the series' previous installment had its moments, things like the plot and dialogue left me ice cold. Rottentomatoes.com is giving this a 14% rotten rating.
Number of Theaters: 2,563
Prediction: $18 million

The Great Debaters
What's It All About: Denzel Washington directs and stars in this film based on true events. Washington plays the coach of an East Texas college debate team who took on the team at Harvard in the 1930s.
Why It Might Do Well: Should offer a viable alternative to all the action and effects laden extravaganzas out there.
Why It Might Not Do Well: A war of words might be too low key for some.
Number of Theaters: 1,164
Prediction: $10 million

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
What's It All About: A young boy cares for a strange and rapidly growing creature hatched from an egg of unknown origin.
Why It Might Do Well: An E.T.-esque tale that should attract those looking to bring the whole family.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Alvin and the Chipmunks may have already burned out the holiday cute factor at the box office.
Number of Theaters: 2,772
Prediction: $14 million

You're not going to believe this, but Walden Media is making another movie based on a much-loved children's book. This time, they're undertaking The Water Horse, a novel for grade-schoolers by Dick King-Smith that sounds like a sort of sweet creation story for the Loch Ness Monster. The movie (in which, by the way, the main character seems to have lost his sister -- apparently audiences prefer lonely boys) will be directed by Jay Russell, and all of the effects will by done by Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, who also played that role in a couple movies released ast year that you might have heard about -- King Kong and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I think it's safe to assume that Water Horse, no matter how good or bad it is, will look fantastic.

The sad, lonely lad will be played by Alex Etel, the adorable star of Millions, and Emily Watson and Ben Chaplin are also on board, possibly to play his parents.

Today's fantasy book turned into hopeful movie gold story is brought to you by proud Narnia parents Walden Media, in a team-up effort with Beacon Pictures and Revolution Studios. These parties no doubt hope to parlay another Narnia-esque success out of their newest British children's fantasy novel acquisition, The Water Horse, written by Dick King-Smith. Robert Nelson Jacobs will be adapting the story into a screenplay, and Jay Russell has been tapped to direct, with filming set to begin this May in the popular fantasy landscape of New Zealand.

Russell has been chasing this project for five years, apparently, and says that he hopes to keep the tone of the film more "realistic" than "fantastical." This would prove to be an impressive trick, given that the story is all about a boy who finds a mystery egg and hatches it into a mythical Scottish sea monster. He'll be helped along in his quest for realism by Weta Workshop, a digital animation studio which worked on both King Kong (the new one, of course) and Narnia (also, technically, the new one).

I have nothing left to say about British children's fantasy being turned into movies. I've had to write about it too many times, and I've spent my thoughts; so since I know nothing about the book, I'll refrain from commenting in general. If anyone out there in readerland can fill us in on the value of this book, please do so...now.