'Lion King' 3d claws for B.O. supremacy

Will a 3 dimensional toon re-release or possibly an epidemic-designed holdover win the weekend?Bizzers are undecided about where one can placed their bets: Some box office bloggers expect Disney's 3d retrofit of "The Lion King" to reign supreme getting a bow around $12 million. Others say Warner Bros.' current champion "Contagion," getting a cume of $26.3 million, could stay atop the domestic B.O., with various forecasted drop of just 40% for just about any soph-sesh take of $13 million.The most effective-monitoring photos should not have trouble beating the weekend's trio of latest records, introduced by FilmDistrict's Ryan Gosling actioner "Drive," that's forecasted to bow inside the low teens.Sony's R-rated remake "Hay Dogs," from Screen Gems, as well as the Weinstein Co.'s femme-specific comedy "I am Unsure How She'll ItInch complete the wide releases, and may go mind-to-mind striking $7 million to $9 million.Meanwhile, overseas moviegoers will most likely still embrace Sony's resilient holdover "The Smurfs," which has cumed $322.8 million through Sept. 11. "The Smurfs" has won foreign B.O. for five straight days -- an activity not accomplished since "Avatar" -- though Universal's launch of "Johnny British Reborn" in 15 areas, including Australia and Russia, could unseat the toon hybrid. ("Reborn" bows Stateside on March. 28.)Disney already released "The Lion King" in mostly Latin American areas, while using pic grossing $10.8 million, which $8 million came from from 3d. Up to now, Mexico has brought most likely probably the most, with $5.2 million, then South usa, where the pic acquired $1.9 million in 15 days. A Control Button expects to unveil the toon reboot next weekend australia wide.InchContagion," which last weekend acquired a moribund B- CinemaScore rating, frequently visit a drop similar to photos like "The CityInch and "The Social Media,Inch which fell inside their second activities 34% and 31%, correspondingly. Zippy advance ticket sales demonstrate that there's healthy fascination with "The Lion King" in the new generation of tykes in addition to their parents, but greater 3d ticket prices may well be a roadblock for a lot of families. This is why Disney made a decision to produce "The Lion King" in 2D and 3d -- even though the film continues to be marketed becoming an exclusive two-week 3d event just before the film's 3d DVD launch on March. 4.Strangely enough, studio expects to possess 2,330 locations offer 3d, with participants to choose which showtime to screen either version.Throughout its original theatrical run, "The Lion King" cumed $312 million in your area, which causes it to be the fifth-finest grossing animated feature ever behind "Shrek the next.In . The film has collected a complete of $788 million worldwide, including $15 million in the Stateside re-release on Imax screens in 2002.As last weekend visit the least expensive B.O. point of year, this weekend's new wide releases aren't vulnerable to affect the picture much. "Hay Dogs," toplining James Marsden, Alexander Skarsgard and Kate Bosworth, is founded on the 1971 cult classic. Like "Hay Dogs," some B.O. experts say "Drive" may be hurt by an R rating and excessive violence, particularly in additional compact U.S. areas.Both R-rated photos should attract the same adult male demo, because the Weinstein Co.'s "I am Unsure How She'll ItInch features a solid hold on women, particularly people older than 25. With various well-known British chicklit book, "I am Unsure,Inch from helmer Douglas McGrath, is predicted to usher in fans of star Nicole Kidman, who plays a girl juggling the responsibilities to become a mother plus an executive.In limited release, The brand new the new sony Pictures Classics bows Gus Van Sant's "Restless" at five locations in NY and L.A.Strand Releasing's German pic "3," from helmer Tom Tykwer, also opens today in limited release, plus a group of Sundance photos: docu "Connected: An Autobiography About Love, Dying and Technology" and Magnolia's Norwegian comedy "Happy, Happy." Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com