'Puss in Boots' should pounce on B.O.

"Puss in Boots" opens day and date inside the U.S. and Russia. Your family market, underserved formerly 5 days, could bring large Halloween-weekend B.O. for Vital-DreamWorks Animation's 3d toon "Puss in Boots." Exactly how large the take is will depend on when the film can extend its pawprint to auds beyond parents and tykes. Componen requires a bow for "Puss" round the mid-$30 millions, though other B.O. bloggers the film could achieve somewhere north of $40 million. Also bowing wide, last century Fox's high-concept actioner "Over TimeInch opens at 3,122 locations, while R-rated The Actor-kaira Pitt starrer "The Rum Diary" launches today at 2,272 Stateside engagements via FilmDistrict. Pre-weekend monitoring signifies "With Time,Inch known as for just about any $12 million-$15 million opening, posseses an edge over "Diary," which likely will settle at between $8 million and $11 million through Sunday. The brand new the new sony will dsicover how effective its scaly-back release plans for Roland Emmerich's "Anonymous," which launches at 265 locations, use be. The studio made a decision early the other day to bow the film in limited release instead of taking a large rollout. Overseas B.O. will looks being centered by "The Adventures of Tintin: The Important Thing in the Unicorn," following Vital and Sony's early launch in the film abroad (see separate story). Componen is beginning "Puss" day-and-date while using U.S. in Russia, where 3d figures, specifically the "Shrek" franchise, have shipped large box office. The "Shrek" spinoff, allotted at $130 million, should have considerable Stateside success. The film is poised to exceed previous Halloween weekend record holder "Saw III," which bowed in 2006 with $33.6 000 0000 in your area. Though Halloween usually isn't a really large weekend within the box office, the holiday falls around the Monday this year, clearing trick-or-treaters to visit plexes, though pre-Halloweeen activities will still occupy families. A five-week drought of fresh family fare also bodes well for "Puss." The ultimate family film to bow inside the U.S., "Dolphin Tale," opened up as much as $19.2 million, the identical weekend as Disney's 3d retrofit of "The Lion King," which won within the second outing with $21.9 million. That pic far exceeded industry anticipation throughout its debut frame, scoring north of $Thirty Dollars million and gathering almost $93 million so far. Both "Lion King" and "Dolphin Tale," getting a cume of $60 5 million, accomplished good success from inadequacies in family product available on the market, as did DreamWorks' "Real Steel," which has attracted in nearly $70 million since its March. 7 bow. It's unclear simply how much 3d tests will boost overall totals for "Puss," beginning at 2,827 3d locations, or 72% of the total 3,952 engagements. "Lion King" acquired 91% of the opening from 3d, though that pic was marketed just like a 3d event. "Puss" likely will uncover an identical or slightly better opening 3d share as "Dolphin Tale's" 50%. Mostly positive early reviews might help the DWA toon broaden to adult auds. Fox's "With Time,Inch allotted around $40 million, has most effective interest among older males over 25, that has a lot more support from both males and girls under 25. From author-director Andrew Niccol, "With Time,Inch starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, notifies the story from the near-advanced society where its individuals don't age past 25. Pic will have to compete for teenage auds with Par's soph-sesh holdover "Paranormal Activity 3," which bowed above anticipation at $52 million. "Rum Diary," which FilmDistrict acquired rights to last spring, set you back a reported $45 million, produced by GK Films. Based on Hunter S. Thompson's semi-autobiographical novel, "Diary" should attract fans of Depp additionally to site visitors in the late renegade journalist. FilmDistrict pre-examined "Diary" strongly attending school metropolitan areas, including Austin, Texas, and Berkeley, Calif. In limited release, Componen is beginning Sundance's grand jury champion "ConstantlyInch with the studio's Componen Vantage label. Pic opens today at four locations in NY and L.A., getting a soph-sesh expansion into the top U.S. areas. Fox Searchlight, meanwhile, develops "Martha Marcy May Marlene" to 32 locations carrying out a effective launch last weekend. Wall Street-designed thriller "Margin Call," from Kerbside Sights, is broadening to 140 playdates, greater than double pic's opening count. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com