July 31-August 1 Derby

Now with sugar-frosted Add On.

The dog days of summer are upon us, and the biggest box office guns have been fired. We now get presented with the product that didn't want to launch against the big, CGI spectaculars. And the Nikkster supplies us with her insider hoo hah, as well as the Friday numbers.

1. Dinner For Schmucks (Paramount) NEW [2,911 Dates] --Friday $8.3M, Estimated Weekend $24M

2. Inception (Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,545 Dates] -- Friday $8.1M (-38%), Estimated Weekend $25M, Estimated Cume $190.3M

3. Salt (Sony) Week 2 [3,612 dates] -- Friday $5.9M (-53%), Estimated Weekend $17M, Estimated Cume $68.5M

4. Charlie St Cloud (Universal) NEW [2,720 Dates] -- Friday $5.6M, Estimated Weekend $15M

5. Despicable Me (Universal) Week 4 [3,602 Dates] -- Friday $4.6M, Estimated Weekend $15M, Estimated cume $189.8M ...

Toy Story 3, in seventh place, looks on track to collect another $5 million as it closes in on a $400 million domestic gross.

All in all, It's been a banner year for animation, with two DreamWorks Animation hits, another Pixar biggie, and Illumination Entertainment's maiden release. Megamind and Tangled will be rolling out in the Fall, so we have the distinct possibility of of six big animated performers in 2010.

Add On: And the Nik gives us the finals:

1. Inception (Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,545 Dates] -- Friday $8.1M, Saturday $10M, Weekend $26M (-39%), Cume $191.8M

2. Dinner For Schmucks (Paramount) NEW [2,911 Dates] -- Friday $8.3M, Saturday $8.4M, Weekend $23M

3. Salt (Sony) Week 2 [3,612 dates] -- Friday $5.9M, Saturday $7.6M, Weekend $19M (-47%), Cume $70.5M

4. Despicable Me 3D (Universal) Week 4 [3,602 Dates] -- Friday $4.6M, Saturday $6M, Weekend $15M, Cume $190M

5. Cats & Dogs 3D: Kitty Galore (Warner Bros) NEW [3,705 Dates] -- Friday $4.2M, Saturday $4.6M, Weekend $12.5M

6. Charlie St Cloud (Universal) NEW [2,720 Dates] -- Friday $5.6M, Saturday $3.8M, Weekend $12M

7. Toy Story 3D (Disney) Week 7 [2,107 Dates] -- Friday $1.4M, Saturday $2.3M, Weekend $5.5M, Cume $390.1M

8. Grown Ups (Sony) Week 6 [2,269 Dates] -- Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.8M, Weekend $4.5M, Est Cume $150.7

9. Sorcerer's Apprentice (Disney) Week 3 [2,524 dates] -- Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.7M, Weekend $4.2M, Cume $51.8M

10. Ramona and Beezus (Fox) Week 2 [2,719 Dates] -- Friday $1.2M, Saturday $1.3M, Weekend $3.5M, Cume $16.1M