GEORGE CLOONEY - TIGHT RACE AT BOX OFFICE PREDICTED

Box office analysts are having a tough time figuring out which film is likely to come out on top this weekend. Several figure that the George Clooney starrer Michael Clayton, which opened in limited release a week ago, is likely to take the lead this week, despite the fact that it is likely to see a significant drop in the major cities where it played. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman said, "We have a very solid shot at (winning) the weekend, but it's certainly going to be a close race. I expect to be there at the finish line, but it's all up to the movie gods now." The strongest competition is likely to come from Sony's crime drama We Own the Night, starring Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix. Elizabeth: The Golden Age, starring Cate Blanchett, is likely to draw an older crowd, while Disney's The Game Plan, which dropped only 28 percent last week, could also remain among the top contenders.

12/10/2007