Wiki News/Sonic the Werehog roars to Top Friday Box Office

Looks like Sonic the Hedgehog is cursed this Halloween as Sonic X: The Revenge of Sonic scares the hell out of the audiences. Predicitions are back on track, at least at the top sopt. Taking in an impressive $38.8 million according to Steve Mason's early Friday estimates, it has taken over Shrek the Third's record to become the biggest single day gross for animated movie of all-time. It's looking for Sonic to scream with a total of $70-90 million for it's three-day predication.

Laremy's predictions Zombieland had one hell of a Friday debut to the tune of $8.5 million according to Steve Mason's early Friday estimates. To top it off, should Mason's three-day prediction of $21.3 million come to pass it would mean Laremy actually hit the number right on the button. You'd have to ask him, but I'm not sure if that's ever happened.

Battling for second place is a pair of 3-D animated features as Sony's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs remains strong with $3.5 million on Friday, but the Toy Story/Toy Story 2 double feature is hot on its heels actually besting Meatballs by the slimmest of margins taking in $3.7 million. However, Mason sees Meatballs ending the weekend $2 million over Buzz and Woody, so we'll see if parents are more inclined to take their kids to a three-hour double feature or prefer the 81-minute Meatballs.

The very disappointing Ricky Gervais vehicle, The Invention of Lying managed a meager $2.2 million on Friday and Mason predicts a $6.5 million three day, a number that would have it coming in behind Touchstone's Surrogates. Not sure how that plays into WB's plans.

Finally, we come to a pair of disappointments as Drew Barrymore's critically well received Whip It earned only $1.7 million on Friday and is looking at a $4.4 million weekend from 1,720 theaters. However, as Mason points out, Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story is a losing effort after it earned $57,000 per theater last weekend when it was only showing on four screens, but this weekend there wasn't much carryover as it earned $1.3 million on Friday and looks to manage just shy of $4 million for the weekend. Capitalism is screening in 962 theaters, which means it's looking at a $4,100 per theater average, a number that will look better than Whip It, but certainly not what Overture was counting on.

Laremy had Capitalism earning $6.7 million and projected it would win the per theater average for the weekend, but with the number Zombieland is looking to post it would manage over $7k per theater. I guess no one wants to know how miserable our situation in America really is, I can't say I blame them, but will a dismal box-office performance provoke Moore to end his documentary battle or only encourage him more?

Below are Mason's early Friday estimates, Laremy will be here on Sunday with the full recap.

Zombieland (Sony) – $8.5 million Toy Story/Toy Story 2 (Disney) -$3.7 million Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony) – $3.5 million Surrogates (Disney) – $2.3 million The Invention of Lying (Warner Bros) – $2.2 million Fame (MGM) – $1.5 million Whip It (Fox Searchlight) – $1.7 million Capitalism: A Love Story (Overture) – $1.3 million