PREDICTED WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The summer movie season continues to heat up this Memorial Day weekend with the much anticipated release of two major films, the Warner Bros. movie Sex and the City 2 and the Disney film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The two films will battle it out for the top spot at the box office this holiday weekend and predicted to win is the sequel to the film adaptation of HBO's hit series, Sex and the City, Sex and the City 2.

The film features returning stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon and this time the girls are leaving New York for a vacation in the Middle East. It's predecessor, Sex and the City: The Movie, ended up grossing an astonishing $415 million worldwide when it was released in 2008. Now it's sequel is predicted to debut at number one this weekend and earn an impressive $65.5 million, which would beat the first film's $57 million opening and come relatively close to earning back it's purported $95 million production budget.

According to the Hollywood Reporter the film already grossed $3 million on Thursday night thanks to midnight screenings across the country. The film played on over 2,000 screens Thursday night and it was said that the midnight box office performance was 20% higher than the original film's midnight take two years ago, which went on to gross around $152.6 domestically. The sequel will open in 3,445 theaters today and has already earned more than $2 million in advance ticket sales so far. Currently the film has fifteen fans on our site and has received an average rating of a 2.0. Out of the fifteen people who have rated the film only four gave it five stars. However the trailer for the film has had almost 27,000 views.

As you can imagine, the film has earned somewhat polarizing comments from different readers on our site but here is what a few of them had to say about the upcoming sequel. "How many times do we have to see old ladies having sex?" one reader asked. "I'm tired of it." To which another reader added, "Someday if you're lucky you will be old and maybe if you're very lucky you will still have an active sex life... so if you don't like the movies then don't watch them." Finally, one reader summed up his feelings about the film and it's stars by saying, "They all should die!"

Debuting at number two this weekend and just missing the number one spot is Disney Studios and super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer's adaptation of the classic video game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton (Clash of the Titans), Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. The film is predicted to earn around $61.1 million, just short of Sex and the City 2's $65.5 million total. The film was released early overseas and has already earned over $28 million worldwide, however it still has a ways to go if it wants to earn back it's entire $200 million production cost.

Currently the film has forty-eight fans on our site and has received an average rating of 4.3. Out of the twenty-six people who have rated the film, fourteen of them have given it five stars, while the trailer for the movie has had over 41,000 views. Here is what one of our readers who has already seen the movie had to say about it. "The most beautiful movie I have ever watched and the best game I have ever played." Another one of our readers agreed, "This movie looks good so I am going to see it just based off the game alone! Because the game itself rocks!" However not everyone has such high hopes for the film and here is an opposing view from another reader. "It is terribly long, too over dramatic, bland, dribble that has come out of Walt Disney's wrong hole." Finally, three of our official reviewers have given the film scores of 2.5 stars, 3.5 stars and 4.0 stars, respectively.

Falling two spots back to number three this week is the forth installment of DreamWorks Animation's phenomenally successful Shrek series, Shrek Forever After. The film stars the returning voice talents of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy. The movie debuted at number one on the box office charts last weekend with $71.2 million, knocking off reigning champ Iron Man 2 from the top position for the first time since it debuted.

While most people assumed that the film would open at number one last week, it did end up earning less than it's predicted $100 million total. The film managed to earn $16,354 on each of the 4,359 screens that it opened on, however it still has a way to go in order to earn back it's purported $165 million budget cost. This weekend's predicted additional $39.6 million should help the cause and as of today, the film has earned a total of around $85 million worldwide. Currently the movie has thirty fans on our site, which is up three from last week. The film has received an average rating of a 3.8, which is down from last week's rating of 3.9. Out of the seventeen people who have rated the film only five of them have given it five stars. However the trailer has had almost 57,000 views.

Coming in at number four this week and dropping two spaces from last week is undeniably this summer's biggest hit so far, Iron Man 2. The film took in an additional $26.6 million last weekend, which was less than it's $30.2 million predicted total. This weekend the film is predicted to drop off some more and only take in an additional $19.2 million. In the film, actor Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire super-hero Tony Stark, along with his faithful assistant Pepper Potts played by Gwyneth Paltrow. This time they are joined by new cast members Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard from the first film, Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell as the film's villains and Scarlett Johansson as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow. Once again, the film is directed by Jon Favreau and actor Samuel L. Jackson also returns as S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury.

While it's no surprise that the film finally fell to number two last week, it did drop almost 50% from the previous week and was shown in 213 less theaters. However, it still managed to earn around $6,368 on each of its 4,177 screens. The film has now earned in just four weeks an impressive $256 million domestically, and a staggering total of around $525 million worldwide, which should make Marvel Studios and Paramount executives very happy considering its $200 million production cost. The film currently has one hundred and eight fans on our site, which is up four from last week and has an average rating of 4.3. The trailer for the film has received over 140,000 views, which is up over a thousand since last week. Currently, one hundred and thirty-six people have rated the film on our site and sixty-eight of them have given the film five stars.

Finally, rounding off the top five and predicted to fall back one spot from last week is the romantic comedy, Letters to Juliet starring Amanda Seyfried (Dear John). The film actually debuted on the charts at number nine two weeks ago and last week climbed an unprecedented five spots to number four. The film was added in seven theaters last week and managed to earn $3,059 on each of its 2,957 screens for a weekend total of $9.1 million. To date the film has grossed around $29.8 million in just fewer than three weeks and is predicted to earn another $12.3 million this weekend. The film currently has only fifteen fans on our site and an average rating of 3.2. The trailer for the film has received over 2,000 views and out of the eleven people who have rated the film, only four of them have given it five stars.

The rest of the top ten films at the box office this weekend are predicted to look like this. Predicted to fall three spots back from last week to number six is director Ridley Scott's Robin Hood. The film stars Oscar winner Russell Crowe as the famous bow & arrow wielding hero, along with fellow Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and William Hurt, and accomplished actors Mark Strong (Kick-Ass) and Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) rounding out the cast.

The film actually did better than expected last weekend holding strong with an additional $18.7 million, well over it's predicted $13.1 million total. The movie only dropped off roughly 48% from it's opening week and even added two theaters for a total of 3,505, earning $5,335 in each. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $8.8 million this holiday weekend, which will add to the film's worldwide total of around $196 million bringing it very close to earning back it's $200 million production cost. The movie has now earned about $71 million domestically in just fewer than three weeks.

Predicted to fall two spots from last week to number seven is Just Wright, a romantic comedy set in the world of the NBA starring former rappers Queen Latifah and Common. The movie dropped off almost 50% last week from it's debut week but still managed to earn around $2,307 on each of it's 1,831 screens for a weekend total of $4.2 million. That brings it's total gross up to about $14.6 million. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $4.4 million this weekend.

Falling one spot back from last week to number eight is the Steve Carell & Tina Fey comedy Date Night, which is predicted to earn another $3.1 million this weekend. As of today, the movie has earned an impressive $91.4 million in just fewer than seven weeks, surpassing its $55 million production cost.

Predicted to fall three spots back from number six last week to number nine this week is the comedy MacGruber, based on the popular Saturday Night Live sketch starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe and Val Kilmer. Last week the film was predicted to debut at number three with around $19.5 million but failed to score with audiences and only earned a disappointing $4.1 million. As of today, the film has earned around $5.3 million, which only earns back about half of the purported $10 million production cost.

Finally, rounding off the top ten this week and predicted to keep it's position from last week is DreamWorks Animation's hit film How to Train Your Dragon. The film, which just won't go away, stars Gerard Butler, Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill and Kristen Wiig. As of last weekend the movie had already earned $211 million domestically in just fewer than nine weeks on the charts, surpassing its $165 million production cost. The film has also earned about $235 million overseas for a grand total of an unbelievable $446 million worldwide. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $2.1 million this weekend. Be sure to check out Box Office Beat Down this Sunday to see who is crowned the King of the box office this week and check back here next week for more box office predictions!