‘Toy Story 3’ set to crush Cruise and Sandler movies

Los Angeles: Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler will go head-to-head at the weekend Box Office in North America, but neither will be a match for the animated heroes of reigning champ ‘Toy Story 3.’ Cruise`s action comedy ‘Knight and Day,’ looking to jump-start the weekend, didn`t exactly gun its engines as it opened Wednesday to USD 3.8 million.

With a Friday-to-Saturday figure on one side or the other of the USD 20 million mark, "Knight" would end its first five days somewhere in the USD 20 million-plus range. The Fox/New Regency project, which reportedly cost USD 117 million to produce, is seen as something of an important career resuscitator for both Cruise and co-star Cameron Diaz. Sandler, looking to rebound from last year`s underperformer ‘Funny People,’ joins forces with Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider in the USD 70 million Sony comedy ‘Grown Ups,’ which should open at No. 2 in the USD 40 million range. Disney/Pixar`s ‘Toy Story 3,’ in the wake of its phenomenal USD 110 million opening last weekend, will repeat at No. 1 with a three-day haul between $55 million and $66 million. Limited openers include National Geographic`s release of the Afghanistan-set, Sundance-winning documentary ‘Restrepo,’ directed by Tim Hetherington and journalist Sebastian Junger, and Sony Pictures Classics` romantic drama ‘Wild Grass’ from eminent French director Alain Resnais. Bureau Report