Weekend Forecast: It's Russell Brand's World (Or is It?)

Yowza! A full slate of films rolls into multiplexes and art houses alike this weekend, driving fresh, harrowing wedges in family moviegoing allegiances and/or date-night politics. But! Deep breath! Movieline's Weekend Forecast is here to break down the glut and maybe help you win a little pocket change in your office box-office pool.*

[Click the links below for Movieline's reviews of this week's releases.]

NATIONAL OUTLOOK

· Arthur: Well, it's come to this: Barring some sort of catastrophe, Russell Brand will have the two biggest films in the United States this weekend. I don't really care either way -- Forgetting Sarah Marshall's goodwill went a looonnggg way -- but your mileage may vary. I any case, between No. 1-favored Hop and this remake of Dudley Moore's 1981 quasi-classic about a billionaire humorously grappling with love, money, and booze woes, it is a Brand world, and you are just living in it. FORECAST: $12.9 million

· Hanna: Which isn't to say you don't have options -- like this sinewy little number featuring Saoirse Ronan as a teenager raised by her father (Eric Bana) as a cold-blooded assassin. Action thrills and minor existential crises ensue, but on the whole, the thing is a firecracker exquisitely marketed by Focus as a brooding, Bourne-esque grrrl-power romp. The PG-13 rating should go a long way as well -- maybe not this weekend, when competition will siphon off a good chunk of its earmarked gross, but in the weeks ahead as word-of-mouth circulates. FORECAST: $12.3 million

· Your Highness: If I can forgive Russell Brand Arthur and Hop because of his enduring earlier work, then shouldn't I be able to forgive David Gordon Green this lazy stoner wankfest on the basis of George Washington, All the Real Girls, Snow Angels and even Pineapple Express? Again, your mileage may vary; the Eastbound and Down-viewing segment of America's moviegoing population (what, 600,000 people? 700,000?) will no doubt flock to see Danny McBride's medieval mullet opposite sword-wielding James Franco and archeress Natalie Portman, the latter of whom is on a box-office roll this film will surely test. I don't expect huge things on 2,700 screens, but I don't smell a bomb either. Though the sooner Universal can spin this off to cult-DVD status the better, right? FORECAST: $10.3 million

· Soul Surfer: The true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton, who went from teen prodigy to shark snack to one-armed surfing pro -- gets the inspirational biopic treatment with Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt and AnnaSophia Robb. As the "Surf With Me Jesus AHHH SHAAARRKKKK" genre goes, no one will deny this is the state of the art. As modest wide releases with a heartland concentration go, it's an interesting property that might sleep its way to a surprising fifth-place finish depending on Source Code's stamina. You know, sleep! As in "sleeper"! Sixth is likelier, but hey. FORECAST: $7.5 million

THE PRIME DESTINATION

· Meek's Cutoff: I really can't say it much better than Stephanie Zacharek did in today's review: Kelly Reichardt's tale of a wagon party lost and at odds on Oregon Trail is a sublime, deceptively minimalist piece of filmmaking. Movieline darling Michelle Williams makes everything from walking aimlessly through the desert to mending a moccasin its own little methodical genius -- to say nothing of her fine co-stars Bruce Greenwood (terrific and virtually unrecognizable as the group's mentally unraveling guide), Will Patton, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Shirley Henderson and Rod Rondeaux. Worth a look this weekend in limited release and in its rollout in the weeks ahead.

REGIONAL OUTLOOK

Other limited releases include the Keanu Reeves heist/romance modestly satisfying Henry's Crime (come for Keanu, stay for James Caan), the sprawling '70s-era NYC/DIY culture doc Blank City, the wry Uma Thurman dramedy Ceremony (directed by up-and-coming Max "Son of Henry" Winkler), the Kim Cattrall-as-aging-porn-star odd-couple indie Meet Monica Velour, and American:The Bill Hicks Story, the definitive documentary about arguably the most influential comic of his era. Have a look and see how many jokes you can count Denis Leary having stolen. The fun never ends!

What are you checking out? Call your shots below!

*: No warranties are expressed or implied! I've got a Giants/Cardinals series to watch, anyway.