Fingers crossed October begins better than September ended. We’ve got just two new wide releases arriving this weekend and while one is poised to make a splash at about 3,300 theaters, the other could run into trouble with only 2,000 locations and a limited viewership. Director Shawn Levy is used to making the big bucks with his films, but unlike the Night at the Museum movies, Real Steel isn’t getting a summer or Christmas release. Then again, it does have the benefit of going up against just one new film and a handful of box office vets all on their way out. Those assets could help it earn just as…

The box office results for the weekend for September 30th-October 2nd sees “Dolphin Tale” emulate its star as it rises to the top spot in its second week of release. As for the newbies; the little known “Courageous” shines the brightest of all. Here are the studio estimates (and big thank you to Monique who filled in brilliantly while yours truly was away for a couple weeks): 1. Dolphin Tale ($14.2 million) 2. Moneyball ($12.5 million) 3. The Lion King 3D ($11 million) 4. 50/50 ($8.8 million) 5. Courageous ($8.8 million) 6. Dream House ($8.2 million) 7. Abduction ($5.6 million) 8. What’s Your Number? ($5.6 million) 9. Contagion ($5 million)…

To close out September we’ve got four new wide releases. Of the bunch, What’s Your Number? is due out in the most theaters, hitting about 3,000. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen a new romantic comedy of this nature, which might bode somewhat well for the Anna Farris starrer. What’s Your Number? could find itself just below the summer release Friends with Benefits and kick off its run with about $16 million. Debuting in just under 2,500 theaters is the cancer comedy 50/50. Courtesy of a little Oscar buzz, this one could post a higher per theater average than What’s Your Number? giving it the cash it needs…

Taylor Lautner’s “Abduction” has taken a critical beating. It’s only been rated as high as 3% on Rotten Tomatoes and audiences have also turned away from it, giving it a 55% rotten rating. Let’s dive right in and see what everyone hates about it: “[A] blockhead espionage thriller…[N]one of [the action] has anything to do with abduction.”– Benjamin Mercer, The Village Voice “Lautner’s fan base–which I would presume to be young and female and interested in viewing his hairless and monumental chest–isn’t super-likely to read reviews before rushing out to see the movie. On the other hand, if you’re here reading this, the likelihood that you’re actually going to pay…

No one expected “The Lion King” to stay at no. 1 for two weeks in a row, but the film has done the improbable. Before we get into any analysis, let’s go over the top ten movies of the week: “The Lion King (in 3D)”–$22,130,000 “Moneyball”–$20,600,000 “Dolphin Tale”–$20,260,000 “Abduction”–$11,200,000 “Killer Elite”–$9,500,000 “Contagion”–$8,565,000 “Drive”–$5,771,000 “The Help”–$4,400,000 “Straw Dogs” $2,100,000 “I Don’t Know How She Does It”–$2,053,000 Analysis: My analysis for this week is pretty much a repeat of last week’s; people are flocking to “The Lion King” because 1)it’s a limited-time theatrical release, and people who didn’t see it in the theaters want to see it where it was meant to…

How about a hefty dose of casting news to prep for the work/school week? This week’s Cheat Sheet is absolutely packed to the brim with casting updates and every single one of them is rather exciting! Even if you’re a hardcore Saw fan, there’s still a good chance you’ve got no clue who Darren Lynn Bousman is. Well, he was the man behind the lens of the series’ second, third and fourth installments and now he’s working on another horror film that not only boasts an interesting premise, but now a stellar cast, too. Alex Proyas, on the other hand, has been in the spotlight time and time again, which…

Title: Abduction Director: John Singleton (‘Boyz n the Hood,’ ’2 Fast 2 Furious’) Starring: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins (‘The Blind Side,’ ‘Priest’) and Maria Bello The most effective, thought-provoking and memorable action thrillers don’t solely include high adrenaline stunts, they also include an intriguing story filled with surprising twists and well developed characters. Unfortunately, famed action director John Singleton failed to recapture his former glory with his new film ‘Abduction.’ The movie chooses to instead capitalize on cliched stunts, predictable plot points and one-dimensional characters to appeal to its intended audience. ‘Abduction’ follows teenager Nathan Price (played by Taylor Lautner), who’s dealing with feelings of rage and anger, and thoughts…

With last week’s newcomers underperforming big time, save for The Lion King (in 3D) , these four new wide releases will all have a chance at snagging a top spot. Moneyball is likely the one to watch as not only does it star Brad Pitt, but it’s rocking some stellar reviews. Will this be the next The Blind Side? Probably not, but Moneyball should have no trouble matching another Aaron Sorkin film, The Social Network. Should that be the case, Moneyball could wrap its first weekend out with about $22 million. While Taylor Lautner isn’t heading towards Twilight-like earnings with Abduction, the film might fall between I Am Number Four‘s…

Shaun Robinson from “Access Hollywood” sat down with the congenial Taylor Lautner to discuss “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ and “Abduction.” In the interview, which you can see below, Lautner says that Bella (Kristen Stewart) as a vampire “is pretty hot, I got to admit.” He also said that director Bill Condon did a great job filming the first part of the final series. He also talked about being thankful for the opportunities “Twilight” has given him. “The franchise has opened the door for all of us [Robert Pattinson, Stewart, etc.],” he said. He went on to say that the success of the franchise allowed everyone to…

Lily Collins talks with Jimmy Kimmel about her role in upcoming film “Abduction” by director John Singleton (2 Fast 2 Furious, Four Brothers) stars Taylor Lautner (Twilight, Valentine’s Day, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2), Maria Bello (Grown Ups, St. Vincent, The Yellow Handkerchief), Jason Isaacs (Batman: Under the Red Hood, Pleading Guilty), Alfred Molina (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters III, Avatar). “Abduction” hits theaters on September 23, 2011. Be sure to visit the VIP FAN PREMIERE tab on the Abduction Facebook page for more details. Click Here for more photos, news and movie trailers from Abduction. Synopsis: A thriller centered on a young man who…