That makes Gangster the all-time second-best opener for Ridley Scott, and sets new high-water marks for both Washington and Crowe. It also gives the well-reviewed Oscar contender the all-time eighth-best opening for an R-rated film. (See below for the complete list in my Friday Night report.)

My sources tell me that exit surveys show that audiences love the movie. Given its 160-minute length and the fact that that older audiences don't rush out on opening weekend to see a new film, American Gangster should have excellent "legs." If the film manages to earn Golden Globe and Oscar nominations in multiple categories, that will boost business through the holidays and into the new year. Universal could expect as much as $175 million-$185 million in domestic business, which would make Gangster one of the all-time Top 10 grossing R-rated films.

Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) was narrowly edged for No. 2 on Saturday adding $17.13 million, but the folks at Jeffrey's animation house must be fairly satisfied, though not overjoyed, with an opening weekend of $39.33M. The Jerry Seinfeld-inspired animated tale has grabbed the all-time 18th-best opening for an animated film (for a complete list, see my Friday report), but Bee Movie is only the sixth-best opening for an animated film from Dreamworks.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 DREAMWORKS ANIMATED OPENINGS
1. Shrek the Third — $121.6 million opening
2. Shrek 2 — $108 million opening
3. Shark Tale — $47.6 million opening
4. Madagascar — $47.2 million opening
5. Shrek — $42.3 million opening
6. Bee Movie — $39.33 million (Estimated)
7. Over the Hedge — $38.4 million opening
8. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — $17.7 million opening
9. Chicken Run — $17.5 million opening
10. Antz — $17.1 million opening

I suspect this latest Dreamworks picture will have less-than-sturdy legs, and, with family fare like Fred Claus (Warner Bros.) and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (20th Century Fox) on the way this month, Bee Movie may be have an upper limit of something in the $140 million-$150 million range.

Saw IV (Lionsgate) generated just over $5 million on Saturday and should reach $11.34 million for the weekend, climbing past the $50 million mark. Steve Carell's Dan in Real Life (Disney) was fourth on Saturday, with an estimated $3.64 million, and No. 4 for the weekend, with a solid $8.7 million or so. The Game Plan (Disney) managed yet another Saturday surge with nearly $2 million, and the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson vehicle should hit $4 million for the weekend, topping $80 million domestic.

New Line continues its recent losing streak with Martian Child starring John Cusack. The warm-hearted drama scored a lukewarm $1.48 million on Saturday, and it's headed for a soft three-day of $3.4 million.

The ageless Sidney Lumet has another hit on his hands. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (ThinkFilm), starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke, has expanded to 43 locations with excellent results. The caper film delivered an estimated $465,000 over the weekend for the No. 2 weekend PTA at $10,812,

Don Cheadle's Darfur Now (Warner Independent) is off to a slow start with only the fifth-best three-day PTA. Its two runs scored just $8,538 per, trailing IFC Films's new doc Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten at a PTA of $9,870.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY SATURDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — $17.69 million, $5,794 PTA [$33.49 million cume]
2. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $17.13 million, $4,363 PTA [$27.33 million cume]
3. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — $5.05 million, $1,588 PTA [$48.7 million cume
4. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — $3.64 million, $1,895 PTA [$21 million cume]
5. The Game Plan (Disney) — $1.94 million, $685 PTA [$81 million cume]
6. NEW- Martian Child (New Line) — $1.48 million, $734 PTA [$2.55 million cume]
7. 30 Days of Night (Sony) — $1.44 million, $552 PTA [$32.7 million cume]
8. Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.) — $1.32 million, $630 PTA [$32.4 million cume]
9. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? (Lionsgate) — $1.3 million, $931 PTA [$50.4 million cume]
10. Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) — $1 million, $618 PTA [$14.1 million cume]
11. The Comebacks (Fox Atomic) — $695,000, $426 PTA [$11.5 million cume]
12. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney) — $660,000, $1,174 PTA [$71.4 million cume]
* We Own the Night (Sony) — $550,000, $337 PTA [$27.2 million cume]
* Across the Universe (Sony) — $450,000, $547 PTA [$20.5 million cume]
* Darjeeling Limited (Fox Searchlight) — $445,000, $724 PTA [$7.5 million cume]
* Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage) — $440,000- $667 PTA [$10.3 million cume]
* Bella (Roadside Attractions) — $355,000, $1,909 PTA [$2.1 million cume]
* Lars & the Real Girl (MGM) — $310,000, $966 PTA [$2.1 million cume]
* Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (ThinkFilm) — $200,000, $4,651 PTA [$419,128 cume]
* Lust, Caution (Focus) — $140,000, $1,148 PTA [$3.2 million cume]
* The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner Bros.) — $80,000, $377 PTA [$3.2 million cume]
* Transformers (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $60,000, $395 PTA [$318.9 million cume]
* Control (MGM/Weinstein) — $55,000, $2,391 PTA [$320,326 cume]
* Wristcutters: A Love Story (After Dark) — $23,000, $253 PTA [$157,317 cume]
* Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains (Sony Classics) — $12,667, $974 PTA [$36,641 cume]
* NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — $12,437, $4,146 PTA [$21,134 cume]
* NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — $8,009, $4,005 PTA [$13,893 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS REVISED 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — $46.41 million, $15,198 PTA [$46.41 million cume]
2. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $39.33 million, $10,013PTA [$39.33 million cume]
3. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — $11.34 million, $3,563 PTA [$51.3 million cume
4. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — $8.73 million, $4,536 PTA [$23.5 million cume]
5. The Game Plan (Disney) — $4 million, $1,407 PTA [$82.1 million cume]
6. 30 Days of Night (Sony) — $3.53 million, $1,348 PTA [$33.7 million cume]
7. NEW Martian Child (New Line) — $3.4 million, $1,685 PTA [$3.4 million cume]
8. Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.) — $2.85 million, $1,354 PTA [$33.1 million cume]
8. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? (Lionsgate) — $2.69 million, $1,917 PTA [$51.1 million cume]
10. Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) — $2.22 million, $1,376 PTA [$14.7 million cume]
11. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney) — $1.48 million, $2,641 PTA [$71.8 million cume]
12. The Comebacks (Fox Atomic) — $1.45 million, $889 PTA [$11.9 million cume]
* We Own the Night (Sony) — $1.28M- $784 PTA [$27.6 million cume]
* Darjeeling Limited (Fox Searchlight) — $1.06 million, $1,730 PTA [$7.8 million cume]
* Across the Universe (Sony) — $1.03 million, $1,263 PTA [$20.8 million cume]
* Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage) — $1.02 million, $1,544 PTA [$10.6 million cume]
* Bella (Roadside Attractions) — $851,250- $4,577 PTA [$2.4 million cume]
* Lars & the Real Girl (MGM) — $729,600, $2,273 PTA [$2.3 million cume]
* Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (ThinkFilm) — $464,900, $10,812 PTA [$579,128  cume]
* Lust, Caution (Focus) — $320,232, $2,625 PTA [$3.3 million cume]
* The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner Bros.) — $188,600, $890 PTA [$3.2M
cume]
* Control (MGM/Weinstein) — $137,497, $5,978 PTA [$364,876 cume]
* Transformers (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $126,224, $830 PTA [$318.9 million cume]
* Wristcutters: A Love Story (After Dark) — $60,456, $664 PTA [$175,717 cume]
* Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains (Sony Classics) — $29,532, $2,272 PTA [$46,141 cume]
* NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — $25,613, $8,538 PTA [$25,613 cume]
* NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — $19,740, $9,870 PTA [$19,740 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY SATURDAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — 3,054 locations, $5,794 PTA
2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Thinkfilm) — 43 locations, $4,651 PTA
3. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — 3,928 locations, $4,363 PTA
4. NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — 2 locations, $4,005 PTA
5. NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — 3 locations, $3,133 PTA
6. Control (MGM/Weinstein) — 23 locations, $2,391 PTA
7. Bella (Roadside Attractions) — 186 locations, $1,909 PTA
8. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — 1,925 locations, $1,895 PTA
9. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — 3,183 locations, $1,588 PTA

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS REVISED 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — 3,054 locations, $15,198 PTA
2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Thinkfilm) — 43 locations, $10,812 PTA
3. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — 3,928 locations, $10,013 PTA
4. NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — 2 locations, $9,870 PTA
5. NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — 3 locations, $8,538 PTA
6. Control (MGM/Weinstein) — 23 locations, $5,978 PTA
7. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — 1,925 locations, $4,744 PTA
8. Bella (Roadside Attractions) — 186 locations, $4,577 PTA
9. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — 3,183 locations, $3,563 PTA
10. Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney) — 562 locations, $2,641 PTA

FRIDAY NIGHT: Ridley Scott's American Gangster (Universal) has blown the doors off of America's multiplexes with a spectacular estimated opening day of $16.5 million. The Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe action thriller will win the weekend easily, but it's no easy task to project a final three-day number.

Two studios are currently calling for a finish in the high $40 million range, and I'm calling for a $47.7 million weekend, but, $50 million is possible. The 160-minute running time is a real handicap for Gangster. If an exhibitor has the movie on a single screen, they get four prime showtimes and one late show — for example 11:45 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 12:30 a.m. — and only the heartiest moviegoers tackle an epic like this at a midnight screening. If the well-reviewed Oscar contender misses $50 million on opening weekend, it'll be the length of the movie, and not its R-rating, that's responsible.

As far as R-rated films go, American Gangster will be one of the best openings ever. If the $47.7 million number holds, Gangster will be the seventh-best all-time.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 OPENINGS FOR R-RATED FILMS
1. The Matrix Reloaded — $91.7 million opening
2. The Passion of the Christ — $83.8 million opening
3. 300 — $70.8 million opening
4. Hannibal — $58 million opening
5. 8 Mile — $51.2 million opening
6. The Matrix Revolutions — $48.4 million opening
7. American Gangster — $47.7 million opening (Estimated)
8. American Pie 2 — $45.1 million opening
9. Red Dragon — $36.5 million opening
10. Freddy vs. Jason — $36.4 million opening

This will likely mark the second-best opening in director Ridley Scott's career, trailing only his 2001 movie Hannibal, and Gangster will be all-time bests for both Washington (exceeding last year's Inside Man at $28.9 million) and Crowe (topping Gladiator, which opened with $34.8 million).

Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) will finish a very strong No. 2 for the weekend after buzzing to an estimated $11 million on Friday. My three-day number is $39 million, but I suspect that the animated flick may still reach $40 million. By the end of the weekend, Bee Movie will have delivered one of the Top 20 animated openings of all time:

ALL-TIME TOP 20 OPENINGS FOR ANIMATED FILMS
1. Shrek the Third — $121.6 million opening
2. Shrek 2 — $108 million opening
3. The Simpsons Movie — $74 million opening
4. The Incredibles — $70.4 million opening
5. Finding Nemo — $70.2 million opening
6. Ice Age: The Meltdown — $68 million opening
7. Monsters Inc. — $62.5 million opening
8. Cars — $60.1 million opening
9. Toy Story 2 — $57.3 million opening
10. Shark Tale — $47.6 million opening
11. Madagascar — $47.2 million opening
12. Ratatouille — $47 million opening
13. Ice Age — $46.3 million opening
14. Shrek — $42.3 million opening
15. Happy Feet — $41.5 million opening
16. The Lion King — $40.8 million opening
17. Chicken Little — $40 million opening
18. Bee Movie — $39 million opening (Estimated)
19. Dinosaur — $38.8 million opening
20. Over the Hedge — $38.4 million opening

For Dreamworks, Jerry's Bee will likely be their sixth-best animated opening, trailing the three Shrek movies, Shark Tale and Madagascar, but a tick better than last year's Over the Hedge.

New Line has launched yet another bomb into the marketplace. Martian Child, starring John Cusack, managed only $1.1 million on Friday, and it's doomed to a three-day of $3.2 million or so. That's a miserable $1,584 per theatre average on 2,000-plus screens.

The news is better for ThinkFilm, which has expanded Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead to 43 locations. With Oscar caliber performances from Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke, Devil is headed for a weekend take of over $380,000 and a likely PTA of $8,977.

Two new documentaries opened with some degree of success on Friday. Both Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) and Don Cheadle's Darfur Now (Warner Independent) grabbed about $2,900 per screen on Friday. I suspect that Darfur will hold slightly better through the weekend for a third-place PTA finish with just over $10,000 per for the three-day.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — $16.5 million, $5,403 PTA [$16.5 million cume]
2. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $11 million, $2,800 PTA [$11 million cume]
3. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — $4 million, $1,257 PTA [$44 million cume
4. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — $2.6 million, $1,351 PTA [$17.4 million cume]
5. 30 Days of Night (Sony) — $1.2 million, $457 PTA [$31.4 million cume]
6. The Game Plan (Disney) — $1.15 million, $404 PTA [$79.2 million cume]
7. NEW Martian Child (New Line) — $1.1 million, $545 PTA [$1.1 million cume]
8. Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.) — $800,000, $380 PTA [$31 million cume]
9. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? (Lionsgate) — $750,000, $535 PTA [$49.2 million cume]
10. Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) — $600,000, $371 PTA [$13.1 million cume]
11. The Comebacks (Fox Atomic) — $430,000, $263 PTA [$10.8 million cume]
12. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney) — $400,000, $712 PTA [$70.7 million cume]
* We Own the Night (Sony) — $365,000, $223 PTA [$26.6 million cume]
* The Darjeeling Limited (Fox Searchlight) — $325,000, $528 PTA [$7.1 million cume]
* Across the Universe (Sony) — $300,000, $365 PTA [$20.1 million cume]
* Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage) — $295,000, $447 PTA [$9.9 million cume]
* Bella (Roadside Attractions) — $230,000, $1,237 PTA [$1.8 million cume]
* Lars & the Real Girl (MGM) — $215,000, $670 PTA [$1.8 million cume]
* Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (ThinkFilm) — $104,900, $2,440 PTA [$219,128 cume]
* Lust, Caution (Focus) — $89,232, $731 PTA [$3.1 million cume]
* The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner Bros.) — $53,400, $252 PTA [$3.1 million cume]
* Control (MGM/Weinstein) — $37,947, $1,650 PTA [$265,326 cume]
* Transformers (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $29,024, $191 PTA [$318.8 million cume]
* Wristcutters: A Love Story (After Dark) — $19,056, $209 PTA [$134,317 cume]
* NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — $8,697, $2,899 PTA [$8,697 cume]
* Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains (Sony Classics) — $7,365, $567 PTA [$23,974 cume]
* NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — $5,884, $2,942 PTA [$5,884 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — $47.7 million, $15,619 PTA [$47.7 million cume]
2. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $39 million, $9,929 PTA [$39 million cume]
3. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — $11.4 million, $3,582 PTA [$51.4 million cume
4. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — $8.06 million, $4,187 PTA [$22.8 million cume]
5. The Game Plan (Disney) — $4 million, $1,406 PTA [$82.1 million cume]
6. 30 Days of Night (Sony) — $3.3 million, $1,256 PTA [$33.5 million cume]
7. NEW Martian Child (New Line) — $3.2 million, $1,584 PTA [$3.2 million cume]
8. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? (Lionsgate) — $2.527 million, $1,801 PTA [$50.9 million cume]
9. Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.) — $2.52 million, $1,196 PTA [$32.8 million cume]
10. Gone Baby Gone (Miramax) — $1.99 million, $1,236 PTA [$14.5 million cume]
11. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney) — $1.44 million, $2,562 PTA [$71.8 million cume]
12. The Comebacks (Fox Atomic) — $1.33 million, $817 PTA [$11.7 million cume]
* We Own the Night (Sony) — $1.16M, $715 PTA [$27.4 million cume]
* The Darjeeling Limited (Fox Searchlight) — $1 million, $1,638 PTA [$7.8 million cume]
* Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage) — $982,350, $1,488 PTA [$10.5 million cume]
* Across the Universe (Sony) — $930,000, $1,131 PTA [$20.7 million cume]
* Bella (Roadside Attractions) — $747,500, $4,019 PTA [$2.3 million cume]
* Lars & the Real Girl (MGM) — $715,950, $2,230 PTA [$2.3 million cume]
* Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (ThinkFilm) — $386,030, $8,977 PTA [$500,258  cume]
* Lust, Caution (Focus) — $318,557, $2,611 PTA [$3.3 million cume]
* The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner Bros.) — $173,551, $819 PTA [$3.2 million cume]
* Control (MGM/Weinstein) — $119,913, $5,214 PTA [$347,292 cume]
* Transformers (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $107,388, $707 PTA [$318.9 million cume]
* Wristcutters: A Love Story (After Dark) — $66,316, $729 PTA [$181,577 cume]
* NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — $30,005, $10,002 PTA [$30,005 cume]
* Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains (Sony Classics) — $27,617, $2,124 PTA [$44,226 cume]
* NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — $19,417, $9,709 PTA [$19,417 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY FRIDAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — 3,054 locations, $5,403 PTA
2. NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — 2 locations, $2,942 PTA
3. NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — 3 locations, $2,899 PTA
4. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — 3,928 locations, $2,800
5. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (ThinkFilm) — 43 locations, $2,440 PTA
6. Control (MGM/Weinstein) — 23 locations, $1,650 PTA
7. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — 1,925 locations, $1,351 PTA
8. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — 3,183 locations, $1,257 PTA
9. Bella (Roadside Attractions) — 186 locations, $1,237 PTA
10. Lust, Caution (Focus) — 122 locations, $733 PTA

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. NEW American Gangster (Universal) — 3,054 locations, $15,619 PTA
2. NEW Darfur Now (Warner Independent) — 3 locations, $10,002 PTA
3. NEW Bee Movie (Dreamworks/Paramount) — 3,928 locations, $9,929 PTA
4. NEW Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (IFC Films) — 2 locations, $9,709 PTA
5. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (ThinkFilm) — 43 locations, $8,977 PTA
6. Control (MGM/Weinstein) — 23 locations, $5,214 PTA
7. Dan in Real Life (Disney) — 1,925 locations, $4,187 PTA
8. Bella (Roadside Attractions) — 186 locations, $4,019 PTA
9. Saw IV (Lionsgate) — 3,183 locations, $3,582 PTA
10. Lust, Caution (Focus) — 122 locations, $2,611 PTA