SATURDAY 10:00 p.m. (Pacific): Dreamworks has its most successful animated non-sequel ever with Kung Fu Panda (Paramount). The newest movie from Jeffrey Katzenberg's animation house surged 17 percent on Saturday for a $23.4 million second day. With a standard 25 percent drop on Sunday, Panda will finish the frame with a better-than-expected $60.95 million.

Although the new movie, featuring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross, has fallen short of the all-time animated non-sequel openings of The Incredibles ($70.46 million), Finding Nemo ($70.25 million) and Monsters, Inc. ($62.57 million), it will likely be No. 4 in that elite class, finishing just in front of Pixar's Cars.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 OPENINGS FOR A NON-SEQUEL ANIMATED FILM
1. The Incredibles — $70.46 million
2. Finding Nemo — $70.25 million
3. Monsters, Inc. — $62.57 million
4. Kung Fu Panda — $60.95 million (Estimated)
5. Cars — $60.11 million
6. Ratatouille — $47.02 million
7. Shrek — $42.34 million
8. Happy Feet — $41.53 million
9. Madagascar — $47.22 million
10. Ice Age — $46.31 million

You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony) has proven to be a bit front-loaded, dipping 3 percent from opening day. That spells a $14.4 million Saturday for the world's best known post-Zionist hairdresser, and the movie appears to have finished right at $40 million for the weekend. This is slightly better-than-expected, and Zohan ranks as one of Sandler's Top 5 openings.

ALL-TIME BEST ADAM SANDLER OPENINGS
1. The Longest Yard — $47.6 million
2. Anger Management — $42.2 million
3. Big Daddy — $41.5 million
4. Click — $40 million
4. You Don't Mess With The Zohan — $40 million (Estimated)
6. 50 First Dates — $39.8 million
7. The Waterboy — $39.4 million
8. Mr. Deeds — $37.1 million
9. I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry — $34.2 million
10. The Wedding Singer — $18.8 million

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (Paramount) got a nice 51 percent bump on Saturday, continuing to play as a flat-out family film. Saturday's haul will be an estimated $9.87 million, and IJ4 should wrap the weekend with $22.83 million or so.

Meanwhile, Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte had a decent Saturday with a 11 percent increase from Friday's $7.3 million. Sex and the City (Warner Bros.) scored an estimated $8.1 million Saturday, and it will likely finish its second weekend with $21.07 million and a new cume about $1 million shy of $100 million.

The Strangers (Rogue), proving there is still room in the marketplace for a well-crafted R-rated slasher movie, scared up $3.53 million on Saturday, and its second weekend will finish at about $8.78 million. The low-budget Liv Tyler-Scott Speedman genre pic will have a $37.14 million cume by Monday morning.

Iron Man (Paramount) is proving very durable with another $3.24 million Saturday and a likely $7.44 million weekend. The film will have a new cume of $288.81 million, and, at the moment, it appears that both Marvel's Robert Downey Jr. superhero debut and the new Indiana Jones are headed for $310 million in domestic box office.

Iron Man, IJ4 and Kung Fu Panda will ultimately make Paramount the first studio ever to release $200 million grossing movies back-to-back-to-back. Also, Panda will likely enable Paramount to pass $1 Billion in domestic box office on or about June 20. That will be the fastest-ever for a Hollywood studio to reach the billion mark in a calendar year, 19 days sooner than the record set by Paramount last year.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY SATURDAY ESTIMATES
1. Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks) — $23.4 million, $5,688 PTA, $43.4 million cume
2. You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony) — $14.4 million, $4,161 PTA, $29.25 million cume
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount) — $9.87 million, $2,357 PTA, $246.63 million cume
4. Sex and the City (Warner Bros.) — $8.1 million, $2,437 PTA $93.38 million cume
5. The Strangers (Rogue Releasing) — $3.53 million, $1,427 PTA, $34.99 million cume
6. Iron Man (Paramount) — $3.24 million, $1,105 PTA, $286.77 million cume
7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney) — $2.34 million, $765 PTA, $124.33 million cume
8. What Happens in Vegas (20th Century Fox) — $1.4 million, $593 PTA, $71.37 million cume
9. Made of Honor (Sony) — $335,000, $453 PTA, $44.48 million cume
10. Baby Mama (Universal) — $330,000, $358 PTA, $57.72 million cume
11. Speed Racer (Warner Bros.) — $325,000, $380 PTA, $42.19 million cume
12. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal) — $295,000, $667 PTA, $61.57 million cume

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS REVISED 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks) — $60.95 million, $14,815 PTA, $60.95 million cume
2. You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony) — $40.05 million, $11,571 PTA, $40.05 million cume
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount) — $22.83 million, $5,450 PTA, $253.05 million cume
4. Sex and the City (Warner Bros.) — $21.07 million, $6,338 PTA, $99.06 million cume
5. The Strangers (Rogue Releasing) — $8.78 million, $3,549 PTA, $37.14 million cume
6. Iron Man (Paramount) — $7.44 million, $2,539 PTA, $288.81 million cume
7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney) — $5.54 million, $1,809 PTA, $125.86 million cume
8. What Happens in Vegas (20th Century Fox) — $3.35 million, $1,418 PTA, $72.18 million cume
9. Made of Honor (Sony) — $790,000, $1,068 PTA, $44.67 million cume
10. Baby Mama (Universal) — $787,000, $855 PTA, $57.91 million cume
11. Speed Racer (Warner Bros.) — $775,000, $906 PTA, $42.42 million cume
12. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal) — $720,000, $1,629 PTA, $61.78 million cume

SATURDAY 8:00 p.m. (Pacific): I am not ready to post final numbers for Saturday, but I have some preliminary intel to pass along. As of this moment, Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks/Paramount) is up 21 percent from Friday's $20 million opening for what would be an estimated $24.4 million Saturday. With a standard 25 percent Sunday drop, that would translate to a spectacular $62.7 million opening. You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony) is proving to be a bit more front-loaded with what looks like a 3 percent drop from opening day. Sandler's new comedy appears headed for $14.4 million in preliminary numbers, which would likely put Zohan at $40 million for the weekend. I'll update with full numbers after 10:00 p.m. (Pacific).

SATURDAY 12:00 p.m. (Pacific): Dreamworks/Paramount is reporting a $20 million opening day for Kung Fu Panda, which is better than the $17.75 million I reported last night. The studio is floating a $60 million estimate for the three-day, and that generally means it will be something higher. I say that the final weekend take will be $65 million-plus, and there is an outside chance that it could reach the Animated Non-Sequel benchmarks of The Incredibles (Disney/Pixar) and Finding Nemo (Disney).

ALL-TIME BEST OPENING DAYS FOR ANIMATED MOVIES (Followed by opening weekend gross)
1. Shrek the Third — $38.4 million, $121.6 million opening
2. The Simpsons Movie — $30.75 million, $74 million opening
3. Shrek 2 — $28.3 million (first Friday), $108 million opening
4. Ice Age: The Meltdown — $21.7 million, $68 million opening
5. The Incredibles — $20.5 million, $70.4 million opening
6. Finding Nemo — $20.2 million, $70.25 million opening
7. Kung Fu Panda — $20 million (Estimated)
8. Cars — $19.7 million, $60.1 million opening
9. Monsters Inc. — $17.8 million, $62.5 million opening
10. Ratatouille — $16.4 million, $47 million opening

Based on the Cars opening weekend model, Kung Fu Panda would get to $61 million, but when you plug in the first frame pattern of The Incredibles, the new Dreamworks family flick would yield $69 million. Paramount is projecting $60 million based on the $20 million Friday, a $23 million Saturday and a $17 million Sunday. I think they are following the "promise low and deliver high" rule, and at least $65 million will be in the bank by Monday morning.

Even if we use Paramount's lowball $60 million number for Kung Fu Panda, it will easily reach $200 million. Following Iron Man and IJ4, that would make the Melrose Avenue gang the first studio in history to release back-to-back-to-back $200 million movies.

Meanwhile, You Don't Mess With The Zohan (Sony) enjoyed a better-than-expected late night performance with $14.85 million. Sony is pushing a $42 million number for the weekend, which is very close, but I am projecting a possible $43.65 million. If the number holds, it would be Adam Sandler's second-best opening ever.

ALL-TIME BEST ADAM SANDLER OPENINGS
1. The Longest Yard — $47.6 million
2. You Don't Mess With The Zohan — $43.65 million (Estimated)
3. Anger Management — $42.2 million
4. Big Daddy — $41.5 million
5. Click — $40 million
6. 50 First Dates — $39.8 million
7. The Waterboy — $39.4 million
8. Mr. Deeds — $37.1 million
9. I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry — $34.2 million
10. The Wedding Singer — $18.8 million

As I wrote last night, Sex and the City was No. 3 for the day, but it will dip to the fourth spot for the weekend. Sex grabbed a solid $7.3 million on Friday according to Warner Bros, which will likely translate to an estimated $21.8 million. That will probably leave the picture just shy of the $100 million mark after 10 days. IJ4 swooped in for another $6.54 million, and it appears that the Spielberg-directed pic will wrap up its third weekend with $24 million.

I will be updating new data the moment I receive it all weekend long.

FRIDAY 10:00 p.m. (Pacific): Dreamworks Animation will likely wrap up the weekend with its All-Time Third-Best Opening with Kung Fu Panda (Paramount). The first big animated movie of the summer has grabbed an estimated $17.75 million on Friday, which will likely translate to about $55 million for the three-day. That opening would place it behind only Dreamworks's Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 OPENINGS FOR DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
1. Shrek the Third — $121.6 million
2. Shrek 2 — $108 million
3. Kung Fu Panda — $55 million (Estimated)
4. Shark Tale — $47.6 million
5. Madagascar — $47.2 million
6. Shrek — $42.3 million
7. Over the Hedge — $38.5 million
8. Bee Movie — $38 million
9. Chicken Run — $17.5 million
10. Antz — $17.1 million

Even more impressive for Kung Fu Panda, featuring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and David Cross, is its standing among the All-Time Best Openings for Animated Non-Sequels. Panda compares favorably to The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and Cars, and it will likely finish stronger than last year's Pixar offering Ratatouille.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 OPENINGS FOR A NON-SEQUEL ANIMATED FILM
1. The Incredibles — $70.46 million
2. Finding Nemo — $70.25 million
3. Monsters, Inc. — $62.57 million
4. Cars — $60.11 million
5. Kung Fu Panda — $55 million (Estimated)
6. Ratatouille — $47.02 million
7. Shrek — $42.34 million
8. Happy Feet — $41.53 million
9. Madagascar — $47.22 million
10. Ice Age — $46.31 million

Meanwhile, You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony) has done exactly what a summer Adam Sandler comedy is supposed to do. The zany story of an Israeli special ops officer who chucks it all to become a hairdresser in America has scored a solid $13.25 million and a probable $36.25 million opening. That is slightly stronger than last July's I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, at $34.23 million, and a tick behind 2006's Click at $40 million.

Sex and the City (Warner Bros.) is holding up better than some have forecasted. Carrie Bradshaw and friends delivered $5 million-plus on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and almost $5 million yesterday, and they will post an estimated $7.8 million Friday, good for 3rd place. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (Paramount) added $6.5 million for the No. 4 spot on Friday. These two wildly different films are headed for a photo finish for the weekend. I am giving the nod to IJ4, but it will be very close. Regardless of the order of finish, Sex and the City will blow past $100 million in the US by Monday morning, while IJ4 should pass $250 million domestic.

Rogue's The Strangers scared up another $3 million on Friday, and the Liv Tyler-Scott Speedman slasher pic should wrap the weekend with $9.1 million or so and a new cume of $37 million-ish. Marvel's unstoppable Iron Man (Paramount) is slowing a bit at No. 6, with $2.2 million on Friday and a likely $8 million for the frame. Robert Downey Jr.'s superhero debut will have banked about $290 million by Monday.

Mongol (Picturehouse), a 2008 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, has opened powerfully on four screens with $6,500 per location on Friday. This Genghis Khan historical epic will likely win the weekend Per Theatre race with an almost $25,000 PTA. Takeout (CAVU), the story of an illegal Chinese immigrant, surprised with $4,318 at its single engagement, and that could lead to a $15,000-plus Per Theatre Average. Kung Fu Panda will probably be No. 3 followed by Zohan and Film Movement's The Grocer's Son.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks) — $17.75 million, $4,315 PTA, $17.75 million cume
2. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (Sony) — $13.25 million, $3,827 PTA, $13.25 million cume
3. Sex and the City (Warner Bros.) — $7.8 million, $2,346 PTA $85.78 million cume
4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount) — $6.5 million, $1,551 PTA, $236.72 million cume
5. The Strangers (Rogue Releasing) — $3 million, $1,211 PTA, $31.35 million cume
6. Iron Man (Paramount) — $2.2 million, $751 PTA, $283.57 million cume
7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney) — $1.76 million, $575 PTA, $122.08 million cume
8. What Happens in Vegas (20th Century Fox) — $1.26 million, $533 PTA, $70.09 million cume
9. Baby Mama (Universal) — $415,000, $451 PTA, $57.53 million cume
10. Made of Honor (Sony) — $400,000, $541 PTA, $44.28 million cume
11. Speed Racer (Warner Bros.) — $220,000, $257 PTA, $41.86 million cume
12. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal) — $210,000, $475 PTA, $61.27 million cume

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. Kung Fu Panda (Dreamworks) — $55 million, $13,369 PTA, $55 million cume
2. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (Sony) — $36.25 million, $10,471 PTA, $36.25 million cume
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount) — $23.75 million, $5,668 PTA, $253.97 million cume
4. Sex and the City (Warner Bros.) — $23.5 million, $7,068 PTA $101.48 million cume
5. The Strangers (Rogue Releasing) — $9.1 million, $3,674 PTA, $37.45 million cume
6. Iron Man (Paramount) — $8 million, $2,729 PTA, $289.37 million cume
7. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney) — $6.52 million, $2,129 PTA, $126.84 million cume
8. What Happens in Vegas (20th Century Fox) — $3.9 million, $1,651 PTA, $72.73 million cume
9. Baby Mama (Universal) — $1.3 million, $1,419 PTA, $58.43 million cume
10. Made of Honor (Sony) — $1.24 million, $1,676 PTA, $45.12 million cume
11. Speed Racer (Warner Bros.) — $924,000, $1,081 PTA, $42.57 million cume
12. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal) — $725,000, $1,640 PTA, $61.79 million cume