The Last-of-August Horse Race

Now with super-natural Add On.

Your Nikkster and mine delivers the early box office report:

1. The Last Exorcism (Lionsgate) NEW [2,874 Theaters]-- Friday $8.5M, Estimated Weekend $23.2M

2. The Takers (Screen Gems/Sony) NEW [2,206 Theaters] -- Friday $7.2M, Estimated Weekend $20.3M

3. The Expendables (Lionsgate) Week 3 [3,398 Theaters] -- Friday $2.5M (-51%), Estimated Weekend $8.2M, Estimated Cume $81M

4. Eat Pray Love (Sony) Week 3 [3,108 Theaters] -- Friday $2.0M (-46%), Estimated Weekend $6.4M, Estimated Cume $60.5M

5. The Other Guys (Sony) Week 4 [3,181 Theaters] -- Friday $1.8M (-40%), Estimated Weekend $5.8M, Estimated Cume $99M ..

In the meanwhile, the animated entries have dropped to a lower tier.

As of Thursday, Despicable Me was galloping along at #11, with $233.4 million in the saddlebags, while Toy Story 3, near the end of its domestic run, cantered smartly in 730 theaters with $404.6 million.

Add On: Box Office Mojo tells us that exorcism movies are back on top! (Just like in my youth!)

Meanwhile, animation is relegated to Level Two:

11) Despicable Me -- $2.7 million ($236.1 million total)

19) Toy Story 3 -- $1 million ($405.7 million total)

27) Shrek Forever After -- $180,000 (($238 million total)