User blog:Ceauntay/Box Office Preview: 'Scooby-Doo' Likely Scared to Top Spot

After a void of animated family fare in the movie marketplace this year, the genre has multiplied talking dogs, like rabbits, with four such films in theaters this weekend, led by the debuting 'Scooby-Doo! The Movie.'

The animated film from Warner Bros. "Doo" should spring past the competition with a winning gross in $60 million, which can lead as the biggest debut of 2011 yet. It will also be scoring as the third biggest debut on the month behind "Fast & Furious" to $70 million and "Clash of the Titans" to $61 million.

The bunny tale from Universal features British sensation Russell Brand as the voice of E.B., the teenage son of the Easter Bunny and a wannabe rock star. Hugh Laurie voices the Easter Bunny and James Marsden plays E.B.'s human friend, Fred. With a charming ad campaign, Brand's booming brand recognition, and Easter just three weeks away, "Hop" should be close in the low to mid-$20 million range.

Also debuting this weekend is "Source Code" from Summit Entertainment. The action-thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan tells the story of a soldier on a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. Trouble is, he awakens in the body of an unknown man. Given Gyllenhaal's star appeal and a terrific trailer that highlights the twisted nature of the plot, "Source Code" should earn in the low to mid-teens.

Warner Bros, "I Wanna Live The Dream" is on track to be in the top five and should be becoming as Nicholas Sparks' largest film ever to about $10 million.

Relativity Media's "Limitless" seems to have limitless staying power, with the film topping the mid-week chart and heading into its third weekend with solid momentum. An impressive second-weekend drop of only 20 percent reflects great word-of-mouth and this weekend should remain strong with a gross in the $10 million to $12 million range.

Fourth and fifth place are a toss-up between Lionsgate's "The Lincoln Lawyer," Warner Bros.' "Sucker Punch," the animated "Rango" from Paramount and the new fantasy thriller "Insidious" from Film District, all vying for a spot in the box office mix with grosses in the range of $8 million to $10 million.

Online: www.Hollywood.com/boxoffice

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