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`TALLADEGA NIGHTS' REVS UP FOR BIG OPENING DEBUT WEEKEND OF MORE THAN $30 MILLION EXPECTED.


Byline: GREG HERNANDEZ Staff Writer

As a movie actor, former ``Saturday Night Live'' star Will Ferrell John William "Will" Ferrell (born July 16, 1967[1]) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American comedian, impressionist, writer and actor who first established himself as a cast member of Saturday Night Live,  has had his box office hits (``Elf''), flops (``Bewitched'') and in-betweens (``Kicking and Screaming'').

His new release, ``Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,'' is expected to drive straight into the hit category when it opens today, with box office prognosticators projecting a debut weekend gross of $30 million-plus.

``This seems to be the kind of picture that people want to see Will Ferrell in, unlike `Bewitched' or `Melinda and Melinda' where he wasn't able to help the box office because those movies served a different audience,'' said Brandon Gray, president of Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic way. Brandon Gray started the site in August 1998 and claims to now receive over one million monthly visitors. .

Ferrell's movie, released by Sony Pictures Entertainment, is a comedy about the world of NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla.  and its corporate sponsors. ``Talladega'' enters the multiplex in 3,800 locations with the animated ``Barnyard'' and the horror film horror film npelícula de terror or miedo

horror film horror nfilm m d'épouvante

horror film horror n
 ``The Descent'' as the other two wide releases making their debuts.

``I think after a month of action movies in July, audiences are ready for a mainstream comedy,'' said Gitesh Pandya, editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com. ``It will be a decisive victory Meaning
A Decisive victory is an indisputable military victory of a battle that determines or significantly influences the ultimate result of a conflict. It does not always coincide with the end of combat.
 for `Talladega.'''

Paramount Pictures is hoping to attract the family audience and has booked ``Barnyard'' into 3,000 theaters. It is the third animated film to make its debut in as many weekends following ``Monster House'' and ``The Ant Bully.''

``The family audience is getting split three ways.'' Pandya said. ``I think what `Barnyard' has going for it is that it's an all-out comedy and typically when kids go to see an animated movie, they want to laugh.''

Pandya also gives ``The Descent'' a good shot at debuting in the top five and making some decent money as the Lionsgate release bows in just more than 2,000 locations.

``This will reach the core movie audience,'' he said. ``Lionsgate has the market cornered when it comes to low-budget but brutal and gory go·ry  
adj. go·ri·er, go·ri·est
1. Covered or stained with gore; bloody.

2. Full of or characterized by bloodshed and violence.
 horror films like the `Saw' movies and `Hostel.' They've raised the volume when it comes to brutality and violence, and horror fans respond to that.''

Also new this weekend is the Robin Williams psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging thriller genre. However, this genre often incorporates elements from the mystery genre in addition to the typical traits of the thriller genre. , ``The Night Listener.'' Released by Miramax Films, it is debuting in 1,400 locations and will be going for a slice of the adult market.

Disney's mega-hit ``Pirates of the Caribbean This article is about the franchise. For other, more specific uses, see Pirates of the Caribbean (disambiguation). For real pirates, see Piracy in the Caribbean.
Pirates of the Caribbean
: Dead Man's Chest'' appears to still have plenty of life in it. ``Pirates'' surpassed last weekend's No. 1 movie, ``Miami Vice,'' in weekday grosses to finish in first place on Wednesday. ``Pirates'' has earned $366.4 million domestically after less than a month in theaters.

```Pirates' should continue to sail on,'' said Gray. ``It's on its way to topping the $400 million mark and could end up doing more than `Miami Vice' this weekend.''

``Vice,'' starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx Jamie Foxx (born December 13, 1967) is an American actor, singer, and stand-up comic. Foxx is possibly best-known for his performance of musician Ray Charles in Ray, and for his collaborations with director Michael Mann. , had toppled ``Pirates'' from the top spot last weekend with a $25 million gross. But its grip on the box office crown has been a bit slippery.

``I don't think the word of mouth is very good and it will drop to second or third place,'' Pandya said. ``People aren't liking it so much.''

But people are liking ``Little Miss Sunshine,'' the Fox Searchlight comedy about a dysfunctional family dysfunctional family Psychology A family with multiple 'internal'–eg sibling rivalries, parent-child– conflicts, domestic violence, mental illness, single parenthood, or 'external'–eg alcohol or drug abuse, extramarital affairs, gambling,  that did gangbuster gang·bus·ter  
n. Slang
A law enforcement officer who works to break up organized criminal groups.

adj. also gangbusters
Extremely successful:
 business in extremely limited release last weekend. It expands to 60 more locations today.

``It certainly is positioned by Searchlight as its breakout movie this summer,'' said Gray. ``They are aggressively rolling it out just like they did with `Thank You For Smoking' and other pictures. They seem very good at taking little comedies and finding an audience for them.''

greg.hernandez@dailynews.com

(818)713-3758

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(color) ``Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,'' starring Will Ferrell, opens today with a projected box office weekend gross of $30 million-plus.
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Title Annotation:Business
Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Aug 4, 2006
Words:631
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