SUPERMAN - TALLADEGA NIGHTS REVS UP FOR BIG OPENING

TALLADEGA NIGHTS REVS UP FOR BIG OPENING

Daily Variety observed today (Friday) that although the summer's expensive "tentpole" films like Poseidon, Cars, Superman Returns, Miami Vice, and Pirates of the Caribbean have all been released, this weekend's relatively low-budget Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is shaping up to be "one last summer smash." The trade publication noted that the Will Ferrell comedy is "tracking extremely well with men and solidly with women" and will likely be the biggest comedy hit of the year, surpassing the $40.2 million opening of Scary Movie 4. Three other films are opening this weekend, without any big expectations of success. Paramount's animated Barnyard and Lionsgate's horror flick The Descent are expected to compete for second place with last week's top film, Miami Vice. A fourth film, the Robin Williams drama The Night Listener, is opening in only 1,367 theaters and is not expected to represent a significant factor in the overall box-office results.

04/08/2006