So what contributed to this film exceeding expectations? I think there are three main factors:

• Nostalgia — Mostly on the part of those who may've watched the cartoon when they were younger. They aren't kids any longer, but if they liked it so much back then, why not take the whole family now? Or if they have kids of their own, why not "introduce" a new generation to the Chipmunks? The nostalgia factor has also powered recent films like Rocky Balboa, Live Free or Die Hard and even Transformers to resounding success. (And it will definitely be in play again in 2008, with Rambo, Speed Racer, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — speaking of which, does anyone else think we should see a trailer pretty soon? Attached to prints of Cloverfield, perhaps?) Big screen adaptations of "old school" kids' TV fare like Rocky and Bullwinkle ($26 million total) may not always perform quite so well, but with the relative success of Underdog this summer — and despite that film's low IMDb rating — maybe we all should have seen this coming. (Think the next script to get optioned is The Jetsons? You've got to think that SOME studio has tossed around the idea. [And — voila! — upon further research, IMDb does list The Jetsons as a title for 2009. It was only a matter of time ...])

• Cute CGI animals — Look no further than Bee Movie for more proof, or even Open Season ($84 million total). You don't have to be Pixar to turn talking animals into box-office gold. And the sheer novelty of the fact that, in this movie, they sing is another factor that surely piqued some moviegoers' interest. The tunes are admittedly catchy, although sometimes annoyingly so. And who would've thought we'd be hearing another pop remix of Witch Doctor? I'm surprised 20th Century Fox hasn't yet released it (or didn't release it) as an actual radio single. Also worth noting is the heartwarming message the film sends about the value of family; that, combined with the timely holiday season release, also may have something to do with the surprising success. (The high screen count arguably plays a part too, but there have also been family movies with equally high screen counts that only disappoint. Hoot, for example.)

• The PG-13 rating of, and a general lack of interest in, The Golden Compass — Some parents may have been expecting the next Chronicles of Narnia, but the PG-13 probably gave a lot of families pause. Angry polar bears could potentially be pretty scary for the young uns, after all. This opened the way for Alvin to rake 'em in. There hasn't been a G or PG-rated film released since Enchanted, and that was arguably not even aimed towards the WHOLE family, instead appealing mainly to women. For whole-family fare, we'd have to go back to Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (and look how mediocre the business was for THAT) or even Fred Claus, and there's your monthlong hiatus, the same factor that made The Game Plan and Bee Movie so successful, coming into theaters with very little, if any, competition for the family demographic.

So what else is out there that could become the same sort of surprise success? Is there another Alvin and the Chipmunks waiting in the wings? I've compiled a list of 10 films that have the potential to provide a whopping return on a proportionally minimal investment in your December–February leagues. Some are steals for either Box Office OR Ultimate slates, but others could benefit you in both league types. Although I missed on Alvin, I've been hot on the trail of some mid-priced bargains before. Remember which friendly neighborhood superhero it was who told you about The Game Plan and Enchanted? That's got to be worth something, right?

You probably don't need me to tell you, one more time, that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Dec. 21; $12 Box Office, $9 Ultimate) ought to be a great pick. Producer Judd Apatow is perhaps one of the hottest guys in Hollywood right now; his last three outings, whether as a director or producer, have made over $100 million, and he's so in demand that he has no fewer than five movies on the horizon for 2008 (You Don't Mess With the Zohan, Drillbit Taylor, Pineapple Express, Dumped and Step Brothers). John C. Reilly gets to show off more of the comedic talent here that he flashed in Talladega Nights, and the cast also features The Office regulars Jenna Fischer and Craig Robinson, Saturday Night Live vets Kristen Wiig, Chris Parnell, and Tim Meadows, and even guys like Jack Black (as Paul McCartney), Paul Rudd (as John Lennon), Justin Long (as George Harrison) and Jack White (of The White Stripes, as Elvis Presley). And yes, it's kind of funny that Jack Black and Jack White are in the same movie. With nothing aimed directly at the funny bone since The Heartbreak Kid or Good Luck Chuck, you can bet that this — especially with Apatow's name on it — will be huge.

Walden Media has had their ups (Bridge to Terabithia) and downs (Hoot), but The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (Dec. 25; $8 Box Office, $6 Ultimate) is a definite sleeper. There's nothing truly kid-oriented coming out Dec. 21, and releasing Water Horse on Christmas means Alvin and the Chipmunks will have had almost two weeks to cool off a bit. And even if it hasn't, kids movies tend to earn independently of one another; there's really no pilfering of audiences between films. Despite having a relatively unknown cast and therefore no big hook, actor-wise, word-of-mouth based on trailer reactions is pretty good. (Who would've thought the Loch Ness Monster could be so benign?) Director Jay Russell provides some history of success, if you're looking for that; his last effort was Ladder 49, which grossed $74 million.

It already has a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Film, and an Oscar nomination in the same category may follow. To that end, Persepolis (Dec. 25; $12 Ultimate) looks like a very solid PTA pick. It's not exactly the cheapest thing out there, but given how The Diving Bell and the Butterfly has done so far (10 PTA points in three weeks), it might be good to bet on another French film for more PTA. The field is crowded, with The Bucket List, The Great Debaters and There Will Be Blood all in contention as well, but, arguably, Diving Bell held its own against some films that weren't exactly lightweights: The Savages, Juno and Atonement. Think of it a bit like Paprika from this summer: an animated film, but dealing with a much more adult subject than, say, singing chipmunks. The difference between Persepolis and Paprika is that Persepolis runs into far lighter competition after its first weekend. The Killing of John Lennon is the only limited release scheduled for the weekend of Jan. 4, and the one wide release, One Missed Call, probably won't be atop the PTA leaderboard either. This means Persepolis could have some PTA legs, certainly making it worth the investment.

It's not a huge steal, but 27 Dresses (Jan. 11; $15 Box Office) should reap good returns for its price. The $17 price tag in Ultimate leagues doesn't exactly scream "bargain," but I think box office figures similar to a $15 pick from leagues past, Halloween (and the price is where the similarities between these two films end), are within reach. That opened to $30 million en route to $58 million in an eight-week time period similar to what 27 Dresses has before the season ends at the close of February. It may not open that high, but the legs will be fairly strong, and, as I've said before, it may see smaller dropoffs each weekend (after the second, that is) as the calendar approaches Valentine's Day. 27 Dresses also is beginning to look like a stronger pick with P.S. I Love You looking like it may get lost in the shuffle of so many wide-release movies on Dec. 21. (And frankly, the awful karaoke clip released online this week isn't doing it any favors either.)

Last time Ice Cube put out a movie in January, it was Are We There Yet, and the film made $82 million by the end of its run. To be fair, that was a family movie, and First Sunday (Jan. 11; $8 Box Office) isn't exactly aimed towards that demographic. But regardless, a $15 million opening and $50-60 million overall isn't out of the question. The risk of an unexplainably low IMDb score might prevent you from putting this on an Ultimate slate, but don't let that stop you in a Box Office league. The hijinks of two bumbling petty criminals coming up with a plan to rob a church to pay a debt don't exactly appeal to me, but then again, I'm not the target demographic. (I liked Tracy Morgan on Saturday Night Live though.) Stomp the Yard, also from First Sunday distributor Screen Gems , and another film whose target audience was African-Americans, opened to $25 million on the very same weekend last January. So there's some more food for thought. Are you sure you don't want to at least consider this one?

Picking The Air I Breathe (Jan. 25; $7 Ultimate) virtually guarantees you an IMDb score above 8.5. It's currently at 9.2, with over 900 votes. What's not to like? It remains to be seen whether Be Kind Rewind will go wide on Jan. 25, or open limited and then expand. If it does open wide, then I really like The Air I Breathe's chances of taking the PTA crown that weekend. Forest Whitaker and Andy Garcia are highlights for me, but those aren't the only notable cast members; perhaps you're the official president of the fan club for Brendan Fraser, Kevin Bacon, Sarah Michelle Gellar or Emile Hirsch. Heck, even Harold himself, John Cho, makes an appearance. (No Kumar to be found — which is probably a good thing; I have no problem waiting 'til April to see those two together on screen again.) ThinkFilm is distributing, so box office prospects are pretty minimal, but a few PTA points are almost certainly in order.

I think the best statement about this next phenomenon comes from the Fantasy Moguls message boards: Hannah Montana is not a person; she's a cult. Boy, is that true. Despite only being in theaters for one week, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (Feb. 1; $10 Box Office, $13 Ultimate) is not a bad Fantasy Moguls pick at all. One reason is that tickets for the live concerts are so scarce that their value skyrockets, so going to a theater to watch it in 3D is a much cheaper option, even though tickets are more expensive than your normal matinee. (They're $15 apiece, regardless of showtime or adult/child/senior/military status, around here; I'm not sure whether it's the same everywhere.) Checking in at my local multiplex, where tickets went on sale Dec. 1, a full TWO MONTHS in advance, they've sold over 250 thus far (and I'm sure that'll go much higher this week, what with Christmas approaching).

Now, with, say, a 150-seat auditorium, that's not even two sold out shows out of 35 (five a day for one week). But if there's that much interest already, and the thing doesn't even come out until February, imagine what will happen as it gets closer and closer. For that reason, I think a lot of theaters will be sold out, especially over the weekend, meaning that even at 800-odd digital 3D locations, PTA is a pretty good bet. Those higher ticket prices mean that box office gross won't be hampered too much, and even driving two hours to get to a digital 3D theater and paying $15 to get in is no worse than driving that far for an actual concert. And this way, you'd get to sit and watch in 3D instead of potentially paying exorbitant prices for a seat that might be awfully far away from the stage anyway. Not to be forgotten: this comes out over Super Bowl weekend. Normally a pretty dead time for movies, but everyone who's excited about Hannah Montana probably doesn't care very much about the Super Bowl anyway ...

Fool's Gold (Feb. 8; $14 Box Office) reunites Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson after their utterly stunning success How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. (Did you know that How To Lose a Guy made $105 million? Look it up.) This film, where McConaughey and Hudson play a couple that rediscover their love for one another while on a treasure-hunting trip, also boasts Andy Tennant as its director. His last theatrical appearance came as the director of Hitch, and while no small part of that film's success ($43 million opening, $177 million total) was due to Will Smith, the director has to be given some credit. He also helmed Sweet Home Alabama, which holds the all-time best September opening weekend, at $35 million (it went on to make $127 million total). To use How To Lose a Guy as a comparable, it opened to $23 million (in February, coincidentally). Given that we'll have the same two stars, plus established "chick flick" veteran Tennant (who also directed Drew Barrymore's Ever After), behind the camera, anywhere between there and $30 million on opening weekend could happen for Fool's Gold. It'll almost certainly be number one on its opening weekend, and Fantasy Moguls knows that, so the $21 price tag in Ultimate leagues doesn't exactly make it a steal. But spending $14 for four weekends of Fool's Gold in Box Office leagues definitely would not make YOU a fool. (For reference, Hitch had $138 million in the bank after 4 weeks, Sweet Home Alabama had $98 million, and How To Lose a Guy was up to $77 million).

Don't underestimate the power of romantic comedies around Valentine's Day, especially ones with a cast like Definitely, Maybe (Feb. 14; $7 Box Office, $13 Ultimate). Last year Music and Lyrics brought down nearly $40 million before the end of February, even with the abominable Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore as the leads. (I don't really mind Drew Barrymore, though Lucky You isn't helping. Or 50 First Dates, either, for that matter. Can we CGI Kate Hudson in on all the DVD copies, please?) Definitely, Maybe stars Ryan Reynolds, who seems to have put his Van Wilder persona behind him, as a single father, with Abigail Breslin, beloved by America in Little Miss Sunshine, as his daughter. The three girlfriends with whom his relationships have failed (and one of whom is his daughter's mother) are Elizabeth Banks (Beth from the bookstore in The 40 Year Old Virgin, or if you prefer, Dr. Briggs from Scrubs), Isla Fisher (where have you BEEN since Wedding Crashers? In small movies, apparently, except for Hot Rod, and not many people saw that either) and Rachel Weisz (always a pleasure). Not your typical romantic comedy; something somewhat fresh, you might say. Feb. 15 is a crowded weekend (Jumper and The Spiderwick Chronicles are also on the docket), but I think this one can Definitely, Maybe make a dent at the box office; at $7, it's certainly worth a shot, and might be a sneaky mid-priced Ultimate play if you want to gamble a bit.

Even with only one weekend in play, Semi-Pro (Feb. 29; $11 Box Office) makes this list (but only for Box Office players; $16 is a bit much to throw into only one weekend, in Ultimate leagues). Blades of Glory opened to $33 million this past March, and as another sports comedy starring Will Ferrell, I expect Semi-Pro to do about the same. Ferrell's last three comedy openings with similar roles, (so, not counting Stranger Than Fiction or The Producers, or Wedding Crashers, since Ferrell was uncredited):

• Blades of Glory, $33 million
• Talladega Nights, $47 million
• Anchorman, $28 million

Seems like this guy just can't miss. A $30-40 million opening weekend would be a real nice shot in the arm for the final weekend of the season, and that would also equate to approximately a $3 million return (give or take a few thousand) for each dollar invested, just slightly under Alvin and the Chipmunks. I daresay, also, that Semi-Pro will carry a higher IMDb rating than Alvin (currently at 5.6); Blades of Glory managed a respectable 6.8. Ferrell may just act like a buffoon, but a lot of people do find that funny — box office receipts from his films tell the tale.

I'm taking next week off, but I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! I'll be back in 2008 with a look at the studs, duds, and wild cards of January. Until then, good luck!

Mister Informative would like to offer Hannah Montana a banana. In Texarkana. And maybe he could get an autograph for his Franklin, um, Plannah. OK, that's pushing it. Send your own rhymes to misterinformative@fantasymoguls.com.