A new box office mission: Cruise vs. cruise

LOS ANGELES  - "Mission: Impossible III," which opened to lackluster sales a week ago, should accomplish a second weekend atop the North American box office, despite Friday's arrival of "Poseidon," which has been tracking poorly, industry observers said.

Midweek business for the Tom Cruise vehicle has been fairly solid, so "M:I-3" will head into the weekend with more than $60 million in its coffers. If the high-end actioner from director J.J. Abrams drops a respectable 50% from its $47 million opening, that would put the weekend tally in the $23 million-$24 million range.

The underwater-set disaster movie "Poseidon," which observers expect will follow close behind, borrows its premise and name from 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure." Director Wolfgang Petersen's PG-13 update stars Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Jacinda Barrett, Richard Dreyfuss and Andre Braugher.

Petersen is no stranger to directing adventures on the high seas -- his track record includes "Das Boot" and "The Perfect Storm." The production costs on the special effects-filled Warner Bros. release are estimated at $150 million.

Lindsay Lohan's latest, "Just My Luck" (20th Century Fox), is tracking to land in the third slot. Lohan plays the luckiest girl in the world who finds she has swapped her good fortune for that of an unremittingly unlucky guy, played by Chris Pine. Director Donald Petrie's PG-13 romance is targeting girls 11-17 but will probably play slightly older as well.

Sony Pictures' "RV" most likely will take the fourth slot in its third weekend. The Robin Williams family comedy had the lowest drop of the top-ranked films last weekend and has generated about $33.3 million so far.

The only other film bowing in wide release this weekend is "Goal! The Dream Begins," a PG-rated soccer drama that already has done well in several international markets. Danny Cannon directed the Disney film, which stars Kuno Becker and Alessandro Nivola.

"Goal!" centers on a young Latino who has the odds stacked against him and makes his way from Los Angeles to England with dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.

In the limited-release arena, Sony Pictures Classics opens "Sketches of Frank Gehry" in two theaters in New York. Directed by Sydney Pollack, the biographical documentary explores the famed architect's creative process.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter