All signs point to Disney ruling the Thanksgiving weekend box office as usual: Enchanted opened yesterday in 3,500 theaters, with promising reviews and strong prerelease viewer interest fueling projections of a $35M five-day holiday weekend gross. The Hollywood Reporter expects Enchanted to deal a heavy blow to Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which targets a family crowd.
Beowulf should suffer less from Enchanted, as it offers the novelty of 3D projections in some locations. Among promising new openers, Stephen King thriller The Mist and video game adaptation Hitman will target an overlapping crowd, while This Christmas should draw well in urban markets. The industry is looking anxiously to the Thanksgiving box office for redemption from a fall slump. (More box office stories.)