EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY SATURDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — $28,025,000, $7,772 PTA [$57,525,000 cume]
2. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — $19,019,000, $5,473 PTA [$32,319,000 cume]
3. The Golden Compass (New Line) — $3,050,000, $865 PTA [$34,993,112 cume]
4. Enchanted (Disney) — $2,422,500, $790 PTA [$90,304,500 cume]
5. No Country for Old Men (Miramax) — $1,191,450, $884 PTA [$32,590,450 cume]
6. NEW Perfect Holiday (Yari Film Group) — $1,022,000, $782 PTA [$2,369,000 cume]
7. This Christmas (Sony) — $968,500, $504 PTA [$45,456,500 cume]
8. Fred Claus (Warner Bros.) — $950,950, $346 PTA [$68,324,950 cume]
9. Atonement (Focus) — $770,400, $6,585 PTA [$2,444,400 cume]
10. August Rush (Warner Bros.) — $671,000, $334 PTA [$27,501,000 cume]
11. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — $556,000, $13,900 [$1,682,000 cume]
12. Beowulf (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $516,000, $311 PTA [$78,795,000 cume]
13. American Gangster (Universal) — $494,150, $405 PTA [$127,331,297 cume]
14. Awake (MGM) — $418,200, $290 PTA [$12,697,200 cume]
15. Hitman (20th Century Fox) — $376,050, $223 PTA [$37,843,050 cume]
* NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — $188,015, $5,372 PTA [$329,380 cume]
* Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Thinkfilm) — $123,342, $1,386 PTA [$5,750,139 cume]
* I'm Not There (MGM/Weinstein) — $76,407, $513 PTA [$2,520,091 cume]
* Margot at the Wedding (Paramount Vantage) — $57,913, $479 PTA, [$1,329,705 cume]
* Starting Out in the Evening (Roadside Attractions) — $53,522, $1,245 PTA [$324,658 cume]
* Days of Darkness (Odeon) — $48,951, $720 PTA [$385,652 cume]
* The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — $47,445, $4,747 PTA [$511,222 cume]
* The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (Miramax) — $23,787, $7,929 PTA [$239,981 cume]
* NEW Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics) — $10,290, $1,715 PTA [$18,885 cume]
* Revolver (IDP Films) — $6,049, $672 PTA [$70,341 cume]
* The Walker (Thinkfilm) — $5,581, $698 PTA [$33,495 cume]
* Grace is Gone (MGM/Weinstein) — $3,012, $430 PTA [$25,667 cume]
* NEW Look (Vitagraph) — $2,945, $1,473 PTA [$7,773 cume]
* NEW Nanking (Thinkfilm) — $2,617, $2,617 PTA [$4,541 cume]
* NEW Arranged (Film Movement) — $2,271, $2,271 PTA [$3,953 cume]
* NEW A Walk Into the Sea (Arthouse Films) — $773, $773 PTA [$1,765 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS REVISED 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — $76,862,250, $21,315 PTA [76,862,250 cume]
2. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — $45,061,730, $12,967 PTA [$45,061,730 cume]
3. The Golden Compass (New Line) — $8,337,100, $2,363 PTA [$40,280,100 cume]
4. Enchanted (Disney) — $5,515,225, $1,799 PTA [$91,782,225 cume]
5. No Country for Old Men (Miramax) — $2,798,978, $2,076 PTA [$33,360,978 cume]
6. NEW Perfect Holiday (Yari Film Group) — $2,284,100, $1,748 [$2,931,100 cume]
7. Fred Claus (Warner Bros.) — $2,227,011, $810 PTA [$68,886,011 cume]
8. This Christmas (Sony) — $2,217,120, $1,154 PTA [$45,960,120 cume]
9. Atonement (Focus) — $1,844,680, $15,766 PTA [$2,983,680 cume]
10. August Rush (Warner Bros.) — $1,603,470, $799 PTA [$27,883,470 cume]
11. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — $1,417,480, $35,437 [$2,143,480 cume]
12. Beowulf (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $1,251,400, $754 PTA [$79,130,400 cume]
13. American Gangster (Universal) — $1,092,207, $896 PTA [$127,593,197 cume]
14. Awake (MGM) — $1,058,210, $734 PTA [$12,927,210 cume]
15. Hitman (20th Century Fox) — $976,764, $579 PTA [$38,098,000 cume]
* NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — $476,033, $13,061 PTA [$476,033 cume]
* Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Thinkfilm) — $279,184, 3,137 PTA [$5,830,311 cume]
* I'm Not There (MGM/Weinstein) — $173,210, $1,162 PTA [$2,568,227 cume]
* Margot at the Wedding (Paramount Vantage) — $131,529, $1,087 PTA, [$1,364,453 cume]
* Days of Darkness (Odeon) — $115,145, $1,693 PTA [$419,428 cume]
* Starting Out in the Evening (Roadside Attractions) — $111,429, $2,591 PTA [$356,789 cume]
* The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — $108,706, $10,871 PTA [$543,505 cume]
* The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (Miramax) — $57,208, $19,069 PTA [$258,535 cume]
* NEW Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics) — $26,613, $4,436 PTA [$26,613 cume]
* Revolver (IDP Films) — $14,487, $1,610 PTA [$74,999 cume]
* The Walker (Thinkfilm) — $13,956, $1,744 PTA [$37,736 cume]
* NEW Look (Vitagraph) — $9,923, $4,961 PTA [$9,923 cume]
* Grace is Gone (MGM/Weinstein) — $7,075, $1,011 PTA [$27,624 cume]
* NEW Nanking (Thinkfilm) — $6,372, $6,372 PTA [$6,372 cume]
* NEW Arranged (Film Movement) — $5,542, $5,542 PTA [$5,542 cume]
* NEW A Walk Into the Sea (Arthouse Films) — $2,282, $2,282 PTA [$2,282 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY SATURDAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — 40 locations, $13,900 PTA
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax) — 3 locations, $7,929 PTA
3. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — 3,606 locations, $7,772 PTA
4. Atonement (Focus) — 117 locations, $6,585 PTA
5. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — 3,475 locations, $5,473 PTA
6. NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — 35 locations, $5,372 PTA
7. The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — 10 locations, $4,747 PTA
8. NEW Nanking (Thinkfilm) — 1 location, $2,617 PTA
9. NEW Arranged (Film Movement) — 1 location, $2,271 PTA
8. NEW Look (Vitagraph) — 2 locations, $2,414 PTA
10. NEW Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics) — 6 locations, $1,715 PTA

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS REVISED 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — 40 locations, $35,437 PTA
2. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — 3,606 locations, $21,315 PTA
3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax) — 3 locations, $19,069 PTA
4. Atonement (Focus) — 117 locations, $15,766 PTA
5. NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — 35 locations, $13,601 PTA
6. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — 3,475 locations, $12,967 PTA
7. The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — 10 locations, $10,871 PTA
8. NEW Nanking (Thinkfilm) — 1 location, $6,372 PTA
9. NEW Arranged (Film Movement) — 1 location, $5,542 PTA
10. NEW Look (Vitagraph) — 2 locations, $4,961 PTA

FRIDAY NIGHT: Will Smith's I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) is the biggest opening of his storied career. The sci-fi thriller, adapted from the 1954 Richard Matheson novel of the same name, has grabbed a spectacular $28.35 milllion on Friday, and it's headed for a weekend of at least $70 milllion. The film will be a bit frontloaded, but my rough estimate as of Friday night is for an estimated $73.71 milllion by Monday morning.

Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter predicted an I Am Legend weekend gross in the $40 million-plus range, which was way too low based on the latest industry tracking. Thursday night, I went online with my final prediction at $60 milllion, and, as it turns out, I underestimated the power of Will Smith as well.

All-Time Top 10 Will Smith Openings
1. I Am Legend — $73.71 million (Estimate)
2. I, Robot — $52.17 million
3. Men in Black II — $52.14 million
4. Men in Black — $51 million
5. Independence Day — $50.2 million
6. Shark Tale — $47.6 million
7. Bad Boys II — $46.5 million
8. Hitch — $43.1 million
9. Wild Wild West — $27.6 million
10. The Pursuit of Happyness — $26.5 million

When I Am Legend passes $100 million domestic, it will be the seventh consecutive Will Smith vehicle to reach that benchmark, and it will give him 11 films at $100 million-plus in his last 13 projects. Only Ali at $58.2 million and The Legend of Bagger Vance at $30.9 million have fallen short of $100 million since 1996. Legend is also the sixth-best opening weekend of 2007, comparing favorably to the "big guns" of summer:

Top 10 Opening Weekends of 2007
1. Spider-Man 3 — $151.1 million
2. Shrek the Third — $121.6 million
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End — $114.7 million
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — $77.1 million
5. The Simpsons Movie — $74 million
6. I Am Legend — $73.71 million (Estimate)
7. 300 — $70.8 million
8. The Bourne Ultimatum — $69.2 million
9. Transformers — $70.5 million
10. Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer — $58 million

Amazingly, if the Francis Lawrence-directed thriller manages to top $74 million, it will crack the list of the All-Time Top 20 Opening Weekends in modern box office history. Meanwhile, the modestly-budgeted Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) is a surprise blockbuster. The animation/live action hybrid version of the heritage cartoon critters generated a terrific $13.25 million on its opening day, and, with a healthy "kiddie bounce" on Saturday and Sunday, it should surge to an estimated $38.43 million for the three-day. If the number holds, Alvin will score the fourth-best opening for an animated film in 2007, topping far more expensive ventures like Bee Movie and Beowulf.

Top 10 Animated Openings of 2007
[Includes animation/live action hybrids]
1. Shrek the Third — $121.6 million
2. The Simpsons Movie — $74 million
3. Ratatouille — $47 million
4. Alvin and the Chipmunks — $38.43 million (Estimate)
5. Bee Movie — $38 million
6. Enchanted — $34.4 million
7. Beowulf — $27.5 million
8. Meet the Robinsons — $25.1 million
9. TMNT — $24.2 million
10. Surf's Up — $17.6 million

The No. 3 movie for the weekend will be New Line's The Golden Compass, but there's no saving this albatross. It appears to have finished Friday at just over $3 million, and it will likely only reach $10.2 million for the weekend, representing a monstrous 61 percent drop from its three-day opening. Enchanted (Disney) will bank another $6.82 million over the weekend for a fourth-place finish and a new domestic cume of $93 million, and the Golden Globes have boosted No Country For Old Men (Miramax) to No. 5 with an expected three-day of $2.83 million.

On the specialty front, Fox Searchlight has expanded Juno to 40 locations with fantastic results. With Golden Globe noms for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) for Ellen Page and Best Screenplay for former stripper Diablo Cody, the film grabbed almost $10,000 per location on Friday, and it will easily win the weekend PTA race with nearly $35,000 per.

Focus is platforming Atonement more aggressively with 117 screens in play. Capitalizing on its 7 Golden Globe nods, the Joe Wright-directed epic romance rounded up $482,000 or so on Friday for a PTA of $4,118. Its three-day take should be an estimated $1.68 million (No. 11) for a $14,000-plus PTA (No. 5).

Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel The Kite Runner has arrived on the big screen, directed by the solid Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland) and distributed by Paramount Vantage, but it has opened sluggishly. The movie had only the fifth-best Friday PTA despite bowing on just 35 screens, and it is unlikely to top $15,000 per for the weekend. Featuring no stars and with five languages spoken including English, Dari, Pashtu, Urdu and Russian, this is a very difficult movie to market. For comparison's sake, last year's Babel, also from Vantage, had a $55,621 PTA when it opened on seven screens last October, and when it expanded to 35 locations the following week, it held up well with $26,000-plus per.

Two other specialty releases of note debuted Friday. Vitagraph's Look, a creepy film shot using surveillance cameras, opened on two screens and delivered $2,400 per on Friday, and it's headed for a weekend PTA of $8,000. On the other hand, there's Francis Ford Coppola's first film as a director since 1997's The Rainmaker, Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics). This one's an arthouse flop — it managed only $1,177 at each of its six locations on Friday, and it will limp to a three-day PTA of just $4,296.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — $28,350,000, $7,862 PTA [$28,350,000 cume]
2. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — $13,250,000, $3,813 PTA [$13,250,000 cume]
3. The Golden Compass (New Line) — $3,050,000, $865 PTA [$34,993,112 cume]
4. Enchanted (Disney) — $1,950,000, $636 PTA [$88,217,303 cume]
5. No Country for Old Men (Miramax) — $859,520, $638 PTA [$31,421,993 cume]
6. This Christmas (Sony) — $742,073, $386 PTA [$44,485,553 cume]
7. Fred Claus (Warner Bros.) — $656,472, $239 PTA [$67,315,756 cume]
8. August Rush (Warner Bros.) — $605,942, $302 PTA [$26,885,733 cume]
9. NEW Perfect Holiday (Yari Film Group) — $600,000, $459 [$1,250,000 cume]
10. Beowulf (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $525,000, $316 PTA [$78,403,881 cume]
11. Atonement (Focus) — $481,748, $4,118 PTA [$1,620,661 cume]
12. Awake (MGM) — $438,535, $304 PTA [$12,307,382 cume]
13. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — $397,333, $9,933 [$1,123,279 cume]
14. Hitman (20th Century Fox) — $352,876, $209 PTA [$37,475,277 cume]
15. American Gangster (Universal) — $336,157, $276 PTA [$126,837,147 cume]
* NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — $137,690, $3,934 PTA [$137,690 cume]
*  Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Thinkfilm) — $75,670, $850 PTA [$5,626,797 cume]
*  I'm Not There (MGM/Weinstein) — $48,667, $327 PTA [$2,443,684 cume]
*  Margot at the Wedding (Paramount Vantage) — $38,868, $321 PTA, [$1,271,792 cume]
* Days of Darkness (Odeon) — $32,418, $477 PTA [$336,701 cume]
*  The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — $28,948, $2,895 PTA [$463,747cume]
* Starting Out in the Evening (Roadside Attractions) — $25,746, $599 PTA [$271,106 cume]
* The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (Miramax) — $14,867, $4,956 PTA [$216,194 cume]
* NEW Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics) — $7,062, $1,177 PTA [$7,062 cume]
* NEW Look (Vitagraph) — $4,828, $2,414 PTA [$4,828 cume]
* The Walker (Thinkfilm) — $4,134, $517 PTA [$27,914 cume]
* Revolver (IDP Films) — $3,780, $420 PTA [$64,292 cume]
* Grace is Gone (MGM/Weinstein) — $2,106, $301 PTA [$22,655 cume]
* NEW A Walk Into the Sea (Arthouse Films) — $1,026, $1,026 PTA [$1,026 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — $73,710,000, $20,441 PTA [$73,710,000 cume]
2. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — $38,425,000, $11,058 PTA [$38,425,000 cume]
3. The Golden Compass (New Line) — $10,217,500, $2,896 PTA [$42,160,612 cume]
4. Enchanted (Disney) — $6,825,000, $2,226 PTA [$93,092,303 cume]
5. No Country for Old Men (Miramax) — $2,836,416, $2,104 PTA [$33,398,889 cume]
6. This Christmas (Sony) — $2,523,050, $1,313 PTA [$46,266,530 cume]
7. Fred Claus (Warner Bros.) — $2,396,124, $871 PTA [$69,055,408 cume]
8. NEW Perfect Holiday (Yari Film Group) — $1,950,000, $1,492 [$2,600,000 cume]
9. August Rush (Warner Bros.) — $1,939,015, $966 PTA [$28,218,806 cume]
10. Beowulf (Dreamworks/Paramount) — $1,785,000, $1,076 PTA [$79,663,881 cume]
11. Atonement (Focus) — $1,686,118, $14,411 PTA [$2,825,031 cume]
12. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — $1,390,664, $34,767 [$2,116,610 cume]
13. Awake (MGM) — $1,315,605, $912 PTA [$13,184,452 cume]
14. Hitman (20th Century Fox) — $1,146,847, $680 PTA [$38,269,248 cume]
15. American Gangster (Universal) — $1,136,210, $932 PTA [$127,637,200 cume]
* NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — $523,222, $14,949 PTA [$523,222 cume]
* Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Thinkfilm) — $272,412, 3,061 PTA [$5,823,539 cume]
* I'm Not There (MGM/Weinstein) — $175,200, $1,176 PTA [$2,570,217 cume]
* Margot at the Wedding (Paramount Vantage) — $134,094, $1,108 PTA, [$1,367,018 cume]
* Days of Darkness (Odeon) — $113,462, $1,669 PTA [$417,745 cume]
* The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — $101,318, $10,132 PTA [$536,117 cume]
* Starting Out in the Evening (Roadside Attractions) — $93,973, $2,185 PTA [$339,333 cume]
* The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (Miramax) — $54,265, $18,088 PTA [$255,592 cume]
* NEW Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics) — $25,776, $4,296 PTA [$25,776 cume]
* NEW Look (Vitagraph) — $16,174, $8,087 PTA [$16,174 cume]
* The Walker (Thinkfilm) — $14,468, $1,809 PTA [$38,248 cume]
* Revolver (IDP Films) — $12,286, $1,365 PTA [$72,798 cume]
* Grace is Gone (MGM/Weinstein) — $7,371, $1,053 PTA [$27,920 cume]
* NEW A Walk Into the Sea (Arthouse Films) — $3,488, $3,488 PTA [$3,488 cume]

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY FRIDAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — 40 locations, $9,933 PTA
2. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — 3,606 locations, $7,862 PTA
3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax) — 3 locations, $4,956 PTA
4. Atonement (Focus) — 117 locations, $4,118 PTA
5. NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — 35 locations, $3,934 PTA
6. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — 3,475 locations, $3,813 PTA
7. The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — 10 locations, $2,895 PTA
8. NEW Look (Vitagraph) — 2 locations, $2,414 PTA
9. NEW Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics) — 6 locations, $1,177 PTA
10. NEW A Walk Into the Sea (Arthouse Films) — 1 location, $1,026 PTA

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. Juno (Fox Searchlight) — 40 locations, $34,767 PTA
2. NEW I Am Legend (Warner Bros.) — 3,606 locations, $20,441 PTA
3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax) — 3 locations, $18,088 PTA
4. NEW The Kite Runner (Paramount Vantage) — 35 locations, $14,949 PTA
5. Atonement (Focus) — 117 locations, $14,411 PTA
6. NEW Alvin and the Chipmunks (20th Century Fox) — 3,475 locations, $11,058 PTA
7. The Savages (Fox Searchlight) — 10 locations, $10,132 PTA
8. NEW Look (Vitagraph) — 2 locations, $8,087 PTA
9. NEW Youth Without Youth (Sony Classics) — 6 locations, $4,296 PTA
10. NEW A Walk Into the Sea (Arthouse Films) — 1 location, $3,488 PTA