Please Note:  Predictions are different from projections. Predictions are based on hunches. Projections, like the ones I will go online with tonight (Friday, Sept. 14), are based on actual box office numbers. The numbers that I go online with tonight are the earliest Friday and three-day projections available anywhere, and, as proven virtually every week, they are generally quite accurate.

This week, we're posting the predictions of seven "expert" sources plus the Box Office Mojo Derby Averages (Lee's Movie Info and Box Office Psychics hadn't posted as of 1:00 p.m., Pacific, and there was no prediction again this week for Brandon Gray from Box Office Mojo). Everyone says The Brave One (Warner Bros.) will be at the top of the heap, but there is wide disagreement about how high it will go.

Joshua Rich from Entertainment Weekly predicts $28 million and Gitesh Pandya from Box Office Guru is calling for $22 million for the Neil Jordan-directed Jodie Foster vehicle. On the low end, my number is $15 million and World of KJ foresees an even softer $14.7 million. The "expert" average for The Brave One is $18.5 million. Everyone calls for under $10 million for New Line's Mr. Woodcock, starring Billy Bob Thornton, which has an "expert" average of $6.91 million. Meanwhile, the average of predictions for Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) is $4.33 million, and only two sources are calling for more than $5 million (the Box Office Mojo Derby Averages and yours truly).

Here are the weekend box office predictions of each "expert" source followed by the "expert" prediction averages for the weekend:

Steve Mason, FantasyMoguls.com
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $15 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $9.1 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $7 million
4. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $5.7 million
5. Superbad (Sony) — $5.4 million
6. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $4.3 million
7. The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) — $3.5 million
8. Rush Hour 3 (New Line) — $3.3 million
9. Balls of Fury (Rogue) — $3 million
10. Mr. Bean's Holiday (Universal) — $2 million

Edward Douglas, Coming Soon Weekend Warrior
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $16.8 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $8.2 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $7.4 million
4. Superbad (Sony) — $4.9 million
5. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $4.5 million
6. The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) — $3.4 million
7. Balls of Fury (Rogue) — $3.1 million
8. Rush Hour 3 (New Line) — $3 million
9. Shoot 'Em Up (Rogue) — $2.9 million
10. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $2.7 million
11. Mr. Bean's Holiday (Universal) — $2.1 million
12. The Hunting Party (MGM/Weinstein) — $2 million

Gitesh Pandya, Box Office Guru
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $22 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $8.5 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $6 million
4. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $4 million
4. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $4 million
6. Superbad (Sony) — $3 million

Box Office Report
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $18 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $9.5 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $8 million
4. Superbad (Sony) — $5 million
5. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $4.5 million
6. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $4.2 million
7. The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) — $4 million
8. Shoot 'Em Up (Rogue) — $3.2 million
9. Balls of Fury (Rogue) — $3 million
10. Rush Hour 3 (New Line) — $2.8 million

Joshua Rich, Entertainment Weekly
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $28 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $7 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $6 million
4. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $5 million
5. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $4 million

Reagen Sulewski, Box Office Prophets
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $16.1 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $9.1 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $8 million
4. Superbad (Sony) — $5.1 million
5. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $4.6 million
6. The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) — $3.7 million
7. Rush Hour 3 (New Line) — $3.2 million
8. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $3 million
9. Shoot 'Em Up (New Line) — $2.8 million
10. Balls of Fury (Rogue) — $3 million

World of KJ
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $14.7 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $9 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $5.7 million
4 Superbad (Sony) — $5.3 million
5. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $4.8 million
6. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $4.5 million
7. The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) — $3.9 million
8. Balls of Fury (Rogue) — $3.6 million
9. Rush Hour 3 (New Line) — $3.2 million
10. Shoot 'Em Up (New Line) — $3.1 million

Box Office Mojo Derby Averages
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $16.9 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $9.4 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $8.3 million
4. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $6.4 million
5. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $5.6 million
6. Superbad (Sony) — $5.5 million
7. The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) — $4.4 million
8. Balls of Fury (Rogue) — $3.8 million
9. Rush Hour 3 (New Line) — $3.3 million
10. Shoot 'Em Up (New Line) — $3.1 million

Box Office Psychics
No predictions as of Friday at 1 p.m., Pacific

Lee's Movie Info
No predictions as of Friday at 1 p.m., Pacific

Brandon Gray, Box Office Mojo
No predictions as of Friday at 1 p.m., Pacific

BOX OFFICE "EXPERT" PREDICTION AVERAGES
1. The Brave One (Warner Bros.) — $18.43 million
2. 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) — $8.72 million
3. Mr. Woodcock (New Line) — $7.05 million
4. Superbad (Sony) — $4.9 million
5. Halloween (MGM/Weinstein) — $4.62 million
6. Dragon Wars (Freestyle Releasing) — $4.35 million
7. The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) — $3.82 million
8. Balls of Fury (Rogue) — $3.25 million
9. Rush Hour 3 (New Line) — $3.13 million
10. Shoot 'Em Up (New Line) — $2.98 million
11. Mr. Bean's Holiday (Universal) — $2.05 million