BULLSEYE, Nov. 12: 'Unstoppable,' 'Skyline,' 'Morning Glory,' 'Harry Potter,' More

The Bullseye has been on hiatus for a little while, but only because I had to focus on helping to launch the new THR weekly magazine (check it out!). That doesn't mean there hasn't been a lot of interesting stuff going on these last few weeks with the Flixster users who supply the data.

So this week, I wanted to make sure we at least got up the grid, since it shows the largest group of colossally big bubbles I've seen since we started this back in the spring. On the one hand, it seems odd since many more indie-minded flicks with smaller audiences typically get their openings in the late fall. But then, Thanksgiving is close and some of the studios want to get a big fat run-up to those days off so everyone will be talking about their films and want to go see them.

Fox's Unstoppable and Universal/Rogue's Skyline open wide Friday, and Paramount's Morning Glory debuted Wednesday night. All three are repping substantial interest on the Bullseye, with the Denzel Washington-Chris Pine actioner fielding the deepest intensity and choicest positioning right over the center. Unsurprisingly, the romantic comedy Glory is skewing toward women just as the sci-fi thriller Skyline is peaking with guys. [Click image to see larger picture.]

The only threat to Unstoppable, which could rake in more than $30 million, is DreamWorks Animation's Megamind, which had a solid $46 million opening last weekend and has been posting very strong midweek numbers. If the superhero riff doesn't repeat at No. 1, it will come in only just beneath Denzel's runaway train.

Skyline is showing a lot of activity, but potential viewers are not totally committed to seeing it. Still, it should easily clear its low-budget production costs by drawing in the double digits at the box office this weekend. Morning Glory posted only so-so numbers Wednesday night, but its slightly older, female-skewed audience may give it nice legs even if it only opens at $13 million-$15 million.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 looms as its release nears. But the most surprising thing to me right now is how young Love and Other Drugs is skewing. It's been a while since Anne Hathaway was doing The Princess Diaries, and Jake Gyllenhaal was never really a fixture of the younger set. It opens right before Thanksgiving, so we'll see how attention shifts over the next two weeks.

Here's Carl DiOrio's box office preview for the weekend for added analysis.