SHOW BIZ: Weekend Movie Box Office Estimates: March 18- March 20, 2011

Rank	Film	Distributor	Weekend Total	# Of Screens	Weeks Playing	Cumulative Box Office
1	Limitless	Relativity	$19,000,000	2,756	1	$19,000,000
2	Rango	Paramount	$15,315,000	3,843	3	$92,577,000
3	Battle: Los Angeles	Sony	$14,600,000	3,417	3	$60,602,000
4	The Lincoln Lawyer	Lionsgate	$13,400,000	2,707	1	$13,400,000
5	Paul	Universal	$13,155,000	2,802	1	$13,155,000

For more information, access the complete chart on boxofficemojo.com.

1. "Limitless:" Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro star in 'Limitless,' a paranoia-fueled action thriller about an unsuccessful writer whose life is transformed by a top-secret "smart drug" that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life in this darkly comic and provocative film.

Aspiring author Eddie Morra (Cooper) is suffering from chronic writer's block, but his life changes instantly when an old friend introduces him to NZT, a revolutionary new pharmaceutical that allows him to tap his full potential. With every synapse crackling, Eddie can recall everything he has ever read, seen or heard, learn any language in a day, comprehend complex equations and beguile anyone he meets--as long as he keeps taking the untested drug.

Soon Eddie takes Wall Street by storm, parlaying a small stake into millions. His accomplishments catch the eye of mega-mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who invites him to help broker the largest merger in corporate history. But they also bring Eddie to the attention of people willing to do anything to get their hands on his stash of NZT. With his life in jeopardy and the drug?s brutal side effects taking their toll, Eddie dodges mysterious stalkers, a vicious gangster and an intense police investigation as he attempts to hang on to his dwindling supply long enough to outwit his enemies. -www.moviefone.com

2. "Rango:" From the director of 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' comes 'Rango,' featuring Johnny Depp in an original animated comedy-adventure that takes moviegoers for a hilarious and heartfelt walk in the Wild West. The story follows the comical, transformative journey of Rango (Depp), a sheltered chameleon living as an ordinary family pet, while facing a major identity crisis. After all, how high can you aim when your whole purpose in life is to blend in? When Rango accidentally winds up in the gritty, gun-slinging town of Dirt -- a lawless outpost populated by the desert's most wily and whimsical creatures -- the less-than-courageous lizard suddenly finds he stands out. Welcomed as the last hope the town has been waiting for, new Sheriff Rango is forced to play his new role to the hilt...until, in a blaze of action-packed situations and encounters with outrageous characters, Rango starts to become the hero he once only pretended to be. With a cast that includes Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone andTimothy Olyphant as the Spirit of the West, Rango is an exciting new twist on the classic Western legend of the outsider who saves a town -- and himself in the process. -www.moviefone.com

3. "Battle: Los Angeles:" A Marine platoon fights to prevent the city of Los Angeles from being overtaken by a race of highly advanced alien invaders in this epic sci-fi action thriller from director Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) and producer Neal H. Moritz (I Am Legend, Fast & Furious). After decades of speculation about life on other planets, the people of Earth discover that extraterrestrials really do exist when destruction rains down from the stars on cities all across the globe. When the alien warships descend upon Los Angeles, however, the ferocious invaders discover that humankind won't go down without a fight as a gruff Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his fearless troop of jarheads point their weapons skyward and make one last stand for the entire human race. -Jason Buchanan, Rovi

4. "The Lincoln Lawyer:" In the gripping thriller 'The Lincoln Lawyer,' Matthew McConaughey stars as Michael "Mick" Haller, a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Having spent most of his career defending petty, gutter-variety criminals, Mick unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. However, what initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation and a crisis of conscience for Haller. -www.moviefone.com

5."Paul:" Two average sci-fi geeks get caught up in the ultimate interplanetary adventure after picking up an extraterrestrial during a road trip to Area 51, and becoming the targets of a nationwide manhunt. Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) are two British sci-fi geeks on holiday in America. After a trip to Comic-Con to meet their favorite author Adam Shadowchild (Jeffrey Tambor), the Graeme and Clive load up their RV, and hit the road for a tour of some of the most famous UFO hotspots in the American southwest. They know we're not alone in the universe, but they won't be satisfied until they get a firsthand glimpse of the famed Area 51. But somewhere deep in the Nevada desert, the two UFO enthusiasts narrowly avoid crashing into a speeding car when they happen across a most unlikely hitchhiker. Paul (voice of Seth Rogan) is a pint-sized alien who has spent the last 60 years in Area 51. He's been cooped up in the care of the U.S. government for far too long, and he's starting to get a little homesick. Graeme and Clive are more than willing to help their wisecracking new friend get back to his mother ship, but Special Agent Zoil (Jason Bateman) of the FBI is closing in fast. And he's not the only one; in their race to get their new friend home, Graeme and Clive have also become unwitting kidnappers, and the enraged father of their not-so-unwilling captive Ruth (Kristen Wiig) is determined to rescue his daughter at all costs. Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, and David Koechner co-star. - Jason Buchanan, Rovi

 

 

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