No, I'm not just recycling lists here. Since there were no new releases last week, this week's top five is the same as last week's, so that sense of deja vu you're experiencing is nothing to worry about.

1. Marley and Me: $24.2 million
2. Bedtime Stories: $20.5 million
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: $18.6 million
4. Valkyrie: $14 million
5. Yes Man: $13.9 million

We've got three new releases and two films going into wider release starting with:

Bride Wars
What's It All About: Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson star in this comedy about best friends who become bitter rivals when their weddings are scheduled for the same day.
Why It Might Do Well: We've got two highly charismatic leads and a cute premise that should appeal to women.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Men will run screaming from this one.
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $21 million

Christmas was good to the folks in the movie biz and four of last week's new releases landed in the top five. The Spirit, which the comic book geek in me was rooting for, took ninth for the weekend. For the totals I've listed both the weekend figures and the total since all of last week's movies came out on Christmas day. Interestingly, Benjamin Button took the number three spot for the weekend but slightly outdid Bedtime Stories in overall numbers. Here's the top five:

1. Marley and Me: $36.3 million ($50.7 million total)
2. Bedtime Stories: $27.4 million ($38 million total)
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: $26.8 million ($38.7 million total)
4. Valkyrie: $21 million ($29.5 million total)
5. Yes Man: $16.6 million

No new releases this time around, but we just had five of them last week so let's not be greedy. Besides, the bumper crop from last week should have plenty of momentum to carry them through New Year's weekend. I will go so far as to say next week's top five will be a repeat of this week's. Bedtime Stories and Benjamin Button were close, but Bedtime Stories is in about 700 more theaters, so I suspect the Adam Sandler comedy will hold its own. Here's my prediction for next week:

1. Marley and Me
2. Bedtime Stories
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Valkyrie
5. Yes Man

The pre-Christmas weekend was good to Jim Carrey, Will Smith and an animated mouse. The rest of the top five was filled out by holdovers from previous weeks, including Four Christmases in its fourth week of release. Here's the top five:

1. Yes Man: $18.2 million
2. Seven Pounds: $14.8 million
3. The Tale of Despereaux: $10.1 million
4. The Day the Earth Stood Still: $9.9 million
5. Four Christmases: $7.7 million

Santa is leaving five presents under the tree for movie fans. Whether they contain coal or a GI Joe with Kung Fu Grip remains to be seen. All five of these are opening on Thursday, Christmas day, rather than the usual Friday.

Bedtime Stories
What's It All About: Adam Sandler stars in this comedy about a man who realizes that the fanciful tales he's telling his niece and nephew are coming true.
Why It Might Do Well: This seems tailor-made for people who liked Sandler's 2006 film Click which had a $40 million opening weekend and went on to earn $237 million worldwide.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Rottentomatoes.com is currently rating the film 21% rotten.
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction: $36 million

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
What's It All About: Brad Pitt stars in a film based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story about a man who is born at the age of 80 and ages in reverse.
Why It Might Do Well: Mr. Pitt carries some serious box office clout, the trailer looks intriguing and Rottentomatoes.com give the film 78%.
Why It Might Not Do Well: It is to laugh.
Number of Theaters: 2,900
Prediction: $22 million

America loves a good alien invasion apparently, so the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still took top honors. Holdovers from previous weeks filled out the rest of the top five with last week's two other big releases, Nothing Like the Holidays and Delgo, respectively taking seventh and eighteenth (eek!) place. Here's the top five:

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still: $30.4 million
2. Four Christmases: $13 million
3. Twilight: $7.9 million
4. Bolt: $7.4 million
5. Australia: $4.1 million

Three new ones this week featuring drama, laughs and something for the kids.

Seven Pounds
What's It All About: Will Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent who after a tragic accident seeks redemption through interaction with seven strangers.
Why It Might Do Well: In addition to Smith in the lead, the cast also includes Woody Harrelson and Rosario Dawson, and there's some decent buzz.
Why It Might Not Do Well: People rarely seek out an IRS agent.
Number of Theaters: 2,600
Prediction: $22 million

Holiday humor proved to be what the public was looking for over Thanksgiving weekend as Four Christmases led the pack. Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman's historical epic Australia took fifth, while last week's third newbie Transporter 3 finished way down in seventh place. Here's the top five:

1. Four Christmases: $31 million
2. Bolt: $26.5 million
3. Twilight: $26.3 million
4. Quantum of Solace: $18.8 million
5. Australia: $14.8 million

We've got three new releases this week:

Cadillac Records
What's It All About: Set in the 1950s, Cadillac Records follows the lives of several music legends including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter and Howlin' Wolf and Elvis Presley.
Why It Might Do Well: A 60% fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The relatively small release will keep it out of the top five.
Number of Theaters: 600
Prediction: $5 million


Punisher: War Zone
What's It All About: Ray Stevenson takes over the title role of the skull-wearing, gun-toting anti-hero and this time he's taking on a mobster called Jigsaw.
Why It Might Do Well: Who doesn't like to watch things blow up?
Why It Might Not Do Well: The Punisher is kind of the ugly stepchild of Marvel Superheroes. Despite two previous films he's not particularly well known outside of comic book circles and this film lacks the star power of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.
Number of Theaters: 2,400
Prediction: $9 million

The vampire romance Twilight kicked serious butt with the fifth biggest November opening in history. Last week's other newbie, Bolt, took a somewhat disappointing third place with Quantam of Solace outselling the Disney feature by a mere half million. Here's the top five:

1. Twilight: $69.6 million
2. Quantum of Solace: $26.7 million
3. Bolt: $26.2 million
4. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa: $15.6 million
5. Role Models: $7.3 million

This week, a historical drama, a holiday-themed comedy and an action sequel are vying for your Thanksgiving weekend box-office dollars.

Australia
What's It All About: Set in the months after Pearl Harbor, Nicole Kidman plays an aristocratic British cattle rancher with Hugh Jackman playing a cattle driver who helps drive her herd across hundreds of miles of Australian outback.
Why It Might Do Well: The cast is definitely a plus and Kidman and Jackman appear to have good chemistry.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 47% rotten at Rottentomatoes.com suggests a less than bright future for this one.
Number of Theaters: 2,600
Prediction: $17 million

Four Christmases
What's It All About: When a couple played by Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn find their vacation flight has been canceled, they are forced to visit all four of their divorced and remarried parents on Christmas Day.
Why It Might Do Well: The holiday season is almost here, so the Christmas angle may appeal to some.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The plot has a been-there-done-that feel, Vaughn appears to be playing the same character we've seen him do countless times before, and Rottentomatoes.com gives it 23%.
Number of Theaters: 3,200
Prediction: $26 million

The new Madagascar film dominated the box office, achieving the seventh strongest opening for an animated film ever, with the raunchy Role Models settling into second. Soul Men proved soul-less, missing the top five entirely and taking sixth. Here's the top five:

1. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa: $63 million
2. Role Models: $19 million
3. High School Musical 3: Senior Year: $9 million
4. Changeling: $7.2 million
5. Zack and Miri Make a Porno: $6.2 million

The other studios no doubt fear 007's license to kill, so there's only one major release this week:

Quantum of Solace
What's It All About: The latest in the long-running James Bond franchise and the hotly anticipated followup to the series' stylish reboot Casino Royale. Daniel Craig returns as Agent 007 in this globe hopping adventure that takes the super spy to Austria, Italy and South America.
Why It Might Do Well: For new releases, this is the only game in town this week, and it's a BIG honking release. Rottentomatoes.com is giving the film an 80% fresh rating and Casino Royale pulled in over half a billion ($594.2 million) worldwide, leaving ticket takers both shaken and stirred.
Why It Might Not Do Well: What, you're kidding, right?
Number of Theaters: 3,400
Prediction: $55 million

As expected, High School Musical 3 hung in there forcing the new Kevin Smith/Seth Rogan comedy to settle for second place. Clint Eastwood's Changeling expanded into wider release allowing it to take fourth place, and last week's other newbie The Haunting of Molly Hartley joined Saw V in scaring the crap out of America over the Halloween weekend. Here's the top five:

1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year: $15.3 million
2. Zack and Miri Make a Porno: $10 million
3. Saw V: $9.7 million
4. Changeling: $9.3 million
5. The Haunting of Molly Hartley: $5.4 million

And this week we've got three new releases:

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
What's It All About: Animated followup to 2005's Madagascar in which our heroes attempt to make their way back to New York City but instead find themselves in Africa where they meet others of their respective species for the first time.
Why It Might Do Well: The original took in $193 million domestically and $339 million foreign, and the sequel is pulling in a 71% fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Ben Stiller voices Alex and his presence still gives me Zoolander flashbacks.
Number of Theaters: 3,900
Prediction: $38 million

Role Models
What's It All About: Comedy in which Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott play two men who are ordered to take part in a big brother program in lieu of jail time.
Why It Might Do Well: Rottentomatoes.com doesn't have a rating for this one yet, but they list several encouraging reviews.
Why It Might Not Do Well: I personally question the logic of allowing the youth of America to be given guidance by two guys who can barely stay out of prison.
Also, while both stars have been in some hit comedies neither is a box office draw.
Number of Theaters: 2,700
Prediction: $17 million

Soul Men
What's It All About: Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson play soul singers who haven't seen each other in 20 years and have to travel cross country to perform at a tribute to their former band leader.
Why It Might Do Well: Bernie Mac was a funny guy and I'm betting his fans will want to see him perform one last time.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Mac and Jackson are doing their own musical performances. Is this a good thing?
Number of Theaters: 2,000
Prediction: $11 million

For next week I think it will go a little like this:

1. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
2. Role Models
3. Soul Men
4. High School Musical 3
5. Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Not one, not even two, but three perfect scores last week. Boo-yeah! Congrats to Josh, hitesh choudhary and cough (who now has two consecutive perfect scores) and thanks to everyone else for taking part in the fun. Here's how we all did:
1. Josh: 16
1. hitesh choudhary: 16
1. cough: 16
2. Pat Campbell: 13
3. Matt: 12
3. Ray: 12
3. AJ Wiley: 12
3. Vera: 12
3. Bradford Oman: 12
3. NP: 12
4. Alex Farquharson: 11
5. I Eat Robots: 8
5. davebaster1989: 8
5. Herff: 8
5. greatone: 8
6. Gregory Rubinstein: 7
7. AJ: 5

Post your predictions for the top five movies in the comments section below before 5:00PM Eastern Time on Friday. One point for every top five movie correctly named, two points for every correct placement, and one extra point for the top movie.

The sequels were king this past weekend with High School Musical 3 and Saw V pulling in large groups from wildly different demographics (or at least one hopes so). Last week's other new release Pride and Glory came in with a less than stellar fifth place. Here's the top five:

1. High School Musical 3: Senior Year: $42 million
2. Saw V: $30 million
3. Max Payne: $7.6 million
4. Beverly Hills Chihuahua: $6.8 million
5. Pride & Glory: $6.2 million

We've got two new releases this week hoping to pull in both laughs and shrieks. We've also got a couple expanding into wider release.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley
What's It All About: After surviving a murder attempt committed by her psychotic mother, Molly Hartley tries for a new lease on life at a new private school, but she learns that something truly evil is in store for her on her 18th birthday.
Why It Might Do Well: Hellooo! Halloween?
Why It Might Not Do Well: Star power is limited to veterans of teen fair like 90210 and Gossip Girl which doesn't give the film broad appeal.
Number of Theaters: 2,250
Prediction: $12 million

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
What's It All About: Kevin Smith wrote and directed this comedy about two down on their luck platonic friends (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) who decide the answer to their money problems is to make a porn film together.
Why It Might Do Well: Smith is the guy behind the Clerks movies, Chasing Amy and Dogma, and Rogen has Knocked Up, Superbad and The 40 Year Old Virgin on his resume.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The last time Smith did a film without Jay and Silent Bob we got Jersey Girl.
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $22 million

And Expanding into Wider Release:
Changeling
What's It All About: Clint Eastwood directs and Angelina Jolie stars in this story based on true events. Jolie plays a mother in 1928 Los Angeles who confronts corrupt police after her son is kidnapped and another child is returned in his place.
Why It Might Do Well: High powered people on both sides of the camera and a plot that will tug at the heart strings. Also, when it went into limited release last week it had the highest per screen average of the week.
Why It Might Not Do Well: 52% at Rottentomatoes.com is nothing to brag about.
Number of Theaters: 1,800
Prediction: $9 million

RockNRolla
What's It All About: Guy Ritchie directs this comedy/crime drama about a London real estate scam and the various felons mixed up in it.
Why It Might Do Well: The trailer pleases and 60% at Rottentomatoes.com is within the Fresh range.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Still a pretty small release.
Number of Theaters: 800
Prediction: $6 million

As a Kevin Smith fan I was hoping Zack and Miri would get a number one release, but I think High School Musical 3 has got the legs to hold the top spot for another week. Also, this being Halloween weekend, we can probably expect the horror flicks to have an edge. Here's my prediction.

1. High School Musical 3
2. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
3. Saw V
4. The Haunting of Molly Hartley
5. Changeling

For the first time in awhile we've got not one but TWO perfect scores, so congrats to Pat Campbell and cough. This week was a bit easier to call so overall the scores were higher. Here's the rundown:
1. Pat Campbell: 16
1. cough: 16
2. NP: 13
2. dtzamaras: 13
2. lostinafog: 13
2. Ray: 13
2. VP: 13
2. Gregory Rubinstein: 13
3. Matt: 12
3. hitesh choudhary: 12
3. AJ Wiley: 12
4. Bradford Oman: 11
4. Alex Farquharson: 11
4. Herff: 11
4. Harless?: 11
4. I Eat Robots: 11
5. Vera: 9
5. Tristan: 9
6. Chris: 6
6. DarkAgair: 6
7. jeff romagnuolo: 4

Post your predictions for the top five movies in the comments section below before 5:00PM Eastern Time on Friday. One point for every top five movie correctly named, two points for every correct placement, and one extra point for the top movie.

Of last week's four new releases the video game inspired Max Payne took top honors with The Secret Life of Bees and W. taking third and fourth place respectively. Bees, incidentally, had the highest per screen average of the week. Sex Drive took in only $3.6 million, taking ninth for the weekend.

1. Max Payne: $17.6 million
2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua: $11.4 million
3. The Secret Life of Bees: $10.5 million
4. W.: $10.5 million
5. Eagle Eye: $7 million

Three new releases and one re-release this week:

High School Musical 3: Senior Year
What's It All About: This third installment of the popular series brings the clean cut musical shenanigans to the big screen. It's senior year, and a group of friends reflect upon their past and future as they prepare for their last Spring musical together.
Why It Might Do Well: This one comes with a built in fan base and a huge release. Definitely the number one move next week.
Why It Might Not Do Well: How can you ask that? Have you no soul?
Number of Theaters: 3,400
Prediction: $45 million