New Movies and Box Offce Predictions: Eagle Eye, Miracle at St. Anna, Nights in Rodanthe

Last week say Samuel L. Jackson take Lakeview Terrace to the top of the charts, and it looks like this will be another weekend with a thriller at the top of the heap. No, Lakeview is not going to repeat. It is one of our new releases and the big question is just how high will the top film go. $30 million? 40? Could it make it to $50 million? Doubtful it will get that high, but $30 is definitely within the realm of possibility and seems to be the likely area. In addition to a new thriller, we will be treated to a new romance and a war film. All three of which look to be pretty good. It certainly seems like a good weekend to enjoy the movies.

Eagle Eye. (2008, 118 minutes, PG-13, thriller, trailer) Do you remember The Matrix? Of course you do. Remember the scene where Morpheus calls Thomas Anderson and guides him through the office? Yes? Now, take that scene and extend it to feature length. That is the impression I get from Eagle Eye. Shia Labeouf and Michelle Monaghan play people being controlled by a voice over the phone, threatening their life and their families while leading them into increasingly dangerous situations and making them the biggest fugitives in the country. The film is directed by DJ Caruso who was behind last year's surprise hit Disturbia.

Miracle at St. Anna. (2008, 160 minutes, R, war/drama, trailer) Spike Lee's latest is a war drama about four black American soldiers stationed in Italy in World War II. They experience triumph and tragedy when they are trapped behind enemy lines and risk it all to save a young boy. The story is told through the eyes of one of those soldiers who, in the early 1980's, kills a man in New York City sparking an investigation and untold discoveries. This just looks really good, I am looking forward to catching it.

Nights in Rodanthe. (2008, 97 minutes, PG-13, romance, trailer) Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, this is the story of a man (Richard Gere) who chose his career over his family and is seeking to reconnect with someone in an attempt to find peace. It is also the story a woman (Diane Lane) going through her own crisis, a separated husband looking to come home, a rebellious daughter, and she needs to find her own way through these issues. Their lives cross at a coastal inn in the town of Rodanthe and their lives will never be the same.

Also opening this week, but not near me:

• All Roads Lead Home
• The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela
• Choke
• Forever Strong
• Humboldt County
• The Lucky Ones
• Obscene
• Shoot on Sight
• Smother
• whaledreamers

Box Office Predictions
Well, with a less than stellar, not to mention consistent, recent track record, this should be interesting. I suspect that Eagle Eye will have no problem taking the top spot this weekend. It has had a good promotional campaign, and actually looks rather exciting. Hopefully it will pay off. It has been awhile since we have had a straight up romance, and Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook) certainly has his fans, so this latest adaptation of his work, not to mention Richard Gere, should help push it to a nice opening. The rest will be a dog fight.

Here is how I think the top ten field will play out:

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Eagle Eye	$35 million
2	Nights in Rodanthe	$15 million
3	Burn After Reading	$9.5 million
4	Lakeview Terrace	$8.5 million
5	Miracle at St. Anna.	$8 million
6	My Best Friend's Girl	$5.5 million
7	Igor	$5 million
8	Righteous Kill	$4.5 million
9	Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys	$4 million
10	Ghost Town.	$4 million