SHOW BIZ: Weekend Movie Box Office Estimates: September 23-25, 2011

Rank	Film	Distributor	Weekend Total	# Of Screens	Weeks Playing	Cumulative Box Office
1	The Lion King 3D	Buena Vista	$22,130,000	2,330	2	$61,676,000
2	Moneyball	Sony	$20,600,000	2,993	1	$20,600,000
3	Dolphin Tale	Warner Brothers	$20,260,000	3,507	1	$20,260,000
4	Abduction	Lionsgate	$11,200,000	3,118	1	$11,200,000
5	Killer Elite	Open Road Films	$9,500,000	2,986	1	$9,500,000

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

1. "The Lion King 3D:" One of the most popular Disney animated musicals, The Lion King presents the story of a lion cub's journey to adulthood and acceptance of his royal destiny. Simba (voiced first by JoNathan Taylor Thomas, then by Matthew Broderick) begins life as an honored prince, the son of the powerful King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones). The cub's happy childhood turns tragic when his evil uncle, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons), murders Mufasa and drives Simba away from the kingdom. In exile, the young lion befriends the comically bumbling pair of Pumbaa the warthog (voiced by Ernie Sabella) and Timon the meerkat (voiced by Nathan Lane), he and lives a carefree jungle life. As he approaches adulthood, however, he is visited by the spirit of his father, who instructs him to defeat the nefarious Scar and reclaim his rightful throne. Borrowing elements from Hamlet, classical mythology, and African folk tales, The Lion King tells its mythic coming-of-age tale with a combination of spectacular visuals and lively music, featuring light, rhythmic songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, and a score by Hans Zimmer. Embraced by children and adults alike, the film also spawned hit songs ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight," "The Circle of Life") and a hit Broadway musical. In late 2002, The Lion King was re-released in the large-screen IMAX format. - Judd Blaise, Rovi

2. "Moneyball:" Brad Pitt stars in the real-life tale of Major League Baseball general manager Billy Beane, who built up a winning team despite a decreased budget thanks to his sly use of statistical data to calculate the best -- and cheapest -- players for his roster. Aaron Sorkin updates Steve Zaillian's adaptation of Michael Lewis' fly-on-the-wall novel for Columbia Pictures, with Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman co-starring. - Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

3. "Dolphin Tale:" 'Dolphin Tale' is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate strangers who banded together to save her life. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun. Without a tail, Winter's prognosis is dire. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle--a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help scores of people around the world. The real Winter, who plays herself in 'Dolphin Tale,' today serves as a symbol of courage, perseverance and hope to millions of people--both able and disabled--who have been touched by her remarkable story of recovery and rehabilitation.-moviefone.com

4. "Abduction:" For as long as he can remember, Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) has had the uneasy feeling that he's living someone else's life. When he stumbles upon an image of himself as a little boy on a missing persons website, all of Nathan's darkest fears come true: he realizes his parents are not his own and his life is a lie, carefully fabricated to hide something more mysterious and dangerous than he could have ever imagined.

Just as he begins to piece together his true identity, Nathan is targeted by a team of trained killers, forcing him on the run with the only person he can trust, his neighbor, Karen (Lily Collins). Every second counts as Nathan and Karen race to evade an army of assassins and federal operatives. But as his opponents close in, Nathan realizes that the only way he'll survive -- and solve the mystery of his elusive biological father -- is to stop running and take matters into his own hands.-moviefone.com

5. "Killer Elite:" Based on the same real-life events that inspired Ranulph Fiennes' gripping best-seller The Feather Men, writer/director Gary McKendry's globe-trotting action thriller follows the adventures of an ex-special-ops agent (Jason Statham) as he emerges from retirement to track down his missing mentor (Robert De Niro). But accomplishing that goal won't be easy, because a master killer (Clive Owen) has dispatched a trio of fierce assassins to exterminate the hardboiled former agent by any means necessary. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

 

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