Who will be on top this weekend?

This weekend's box office is a toss up between greedy stock market executives, animated owls and a female driven comedy about revenge.

 

The sequel to the critically acclaimed 1987 film, Wall Street, is set to be released this Friday. The new film entitled, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, which plays on a line spoken by Michael Douglas's character, Gordon Gekko, in the original film. Douglas will reprises his role but this time will be joined along by Oscar nominated actress, Carey Mulligan (An Education), who plays Winnie Gekko, his estranged daughter. Shia LaBeouf (Transformers 2) takes on the role as the naive stock broker whom Gekko takes under his wing into the illegal world of wheeling and dealing of the stock market.

Reviews for the film are positive. Many stating that the sequel lives up to the original. “While a good portion of the film seemed to take solace in the massive amount of stock market jargon, hiding underneath was where Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, truly shined," said one reviewer. As for the acting, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is full of nothing but solid performances from the entire cast” said another critic.

Photo source

Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf in a scene in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Despite its glowing reviews so far, the film has competition as a 3D film, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, is also set to be released the same day. The movie stars British actor, Jim Sturgess (21) who voices the character of an owl who has been kidnapped and forced to train and become a soldier. The story is based on a book of the same name. But don't let the fact that the film is animated fool you, the children's tale has been collecting glowing reviews and one critic even went so far as to call the film, “a visually dazzling 3D animated fantasy feature from director Zack Snyder has the epic sweep and feel of Lord of the Rings.”

Photo source

The promotional poster for Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

The highly commercialized romantic comedy, You Again, staring Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Jamie Lee Curtis as a mother and daughter duo who are forced to face their high school nemesis' at a family members wedding. This film is another addition to the weekend fight for the top spot in the box office. The film also stars Sigourney Weaver (Avatar) and old favorite, Betty White (Hot in Cleveland).

Photo source

Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristen Bell and Betty White in a scene from You Again

Although films aimed at children seem to have been leading the pack in the past year at the box office, the anticipation of the Wall Street sequel and it's all star cast may give it a leg up in the competition. It doesn't hurt that drama seems to be the genre of choice from movie goers based on last weekend's box office totals. Ben Affleck's film, The Town, took the top spot with 23.8 million. The romantic comedy, Easy A came in second place with 17.7 million. The only children's film to open last weekend, Alpha and Omega landed in last place with 9 million.

So who will take the top spot at the box office this weekend? We will just have to wait and see.