'Tintin,' 'M:I 4,' 'Dragon Tattoo,' and 'We Bought a Zoo' compete for holiday audiences

By Sarah Sluis

This year, Christmas falls on Sunday and Monday is a national holiday. Though a half-dozen wide releases will join the holiday movie fray between Wednesday and Sunday, the box office is currently down 4% from last year. A defecit that large will be hard to make up, putting the industry on edge.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2,800 theatres) already jumped the gun and opened in theatres on 7pm on Tuesday, earning an estimated $1.6 million. David Noh praised the David Fincher-directed adaptation of the Swedish book and film, calling it a "highly satisfying and smart thriller." As the tattoed and mowhawked Lisbeth, Rooney Mara turns in a "supremely iconic performance." Audiences are excited too, with 26% of people visiting Movietickets.com saying they would see the movie over the holiday. The only film to post a higher percentage? Mission: Impossible--Ghost Protocol, which captured 26.8% of the vote.

M:I 4 will expand from 500 to over 3,400 theatres today. Audiences who saw the actioner last week are spreading the word. From Wednesday to Sunday, the Tom Cruise picture is projected to earn $35-40 million, slightly higher than Dragon Tattoo.

The Adventures of Tintin (3,000 theatres) has already earned $240 million overseas, where kids and adults alike are familiar with the Belgian comic book character. In the U.S, the character is not as well-known, but director Steven Spielberg's "splashy animated adventure," which critic Chris Barsanti compares to his Indiana Jones series, could win over American audiences, but it will take time. Its opening will be behind some of the big adult pictures, with many estimating a total in the high $20 millions through Sunday.

On Friday, We Bought a Zoo (3,000 theates) will join the menagerie. Cameron Crowe directs the feel-good tale about a widower father (Matt Damon) who buys a run-down zoo. The "facilely obvious" movie did not win over critic David Noh, who had this to say: "Strictly targeted family films always lay it on pretty thick; We Bought a Zoo uses a two-ton trowel." The PG-rated movie will probably see the most action the Monday after the holiday, since Christmas Eve is considered a low day at the box office.

On Sunday, Christmas Day, War Horse (2,300 theatres) will give audiences another Steven Spielberg-directed option. Kevin Lally was touched by the tale of a boy and his horse, separted by the events of World War I. He called it a "lovingly crafted, impressive achievement from a movie master." Some have decried the play adaptation for its sentimentality, but the holidays are often a perfect time to release such films.

Sunday will also see the release of The Darkest Hour (2,200 theatres), an alien invasion film set in Russia that's the black sheep of the bunch. Summit probably hopes to target those looking for the sci-fi/horror fare that's not available this time of year, and capitalize on the high theatre attendance around the holiday.

In addition to the wide releases, a host of specialty films will debut or expand into new territories. A romance set during the Bosnian War, In the Land of Blood and Honey (6 theatres) will release on Friday. Angelina Jolie shows "real flair as a filmmaker" in her writing/directing debut, according to critic Marsha McCreadie. Black-and-white silent The Artist will expand into 170 theatres, and My Week with Marilyn into 400 theatres. On Sunday, the 9/11 literary adaptation Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close will open in just 6 theatres.

Next week will start to reveal which films will be the hits or disappointments of 2011. Many of these releaes will play strongly or expand through January. Then there's awards season, which is only just beginning.