Labor Day Derby

Now with chocolate-covered Add On.

The Nikkster, as is her habit, is the first out of the gate with fresh box office numbers.

1. The American (Focus Features) NEW [2,823 Theaters] Opened Wed -- Friday $4.1M, Estimated 4-Day Holiday $16M, Estimated Cume $19.1M

2. Machete (Fox) NEW [2,670 Theaters] -- Friday $3.3M, Estimated 4-Day Holiday $12.3M)

3. Takers (Screen Gems/Sony) Week 2 [2,206 Theaters] -- Friday $3M (-60%), Estimated 4-Day Holiday $14M, Estimated Cume $40M

4. The Last Exorcism (Lionsgate) Week 2 [2,874 Theaters] -- Friday $2.5M (-75%), Estimated 4-Day Holiday $10M, Estimated Cume $34.8M

5. Going The Distance (Warner Bros) NEW [3,030 Theaters] -- Friday $2.2M, Estimated 4-Day Holiday $9M

6. The Expendables (Lionsgate) Week 4 [3,398 Theaters] -- Friday $1.7M, Estimated 4-Day Holiday $8.2M, Estimated Cume $94M

7. Eat Pray Love (Sony) Week 4 [2,663 Theaters] -- Friday $1.5M, Estimated 4-Day Holiday $7.5M, Estimated Cume $72M

8. The Other Guys (Sony) Week 5 [2,607 Theaters] -- Friday $1.5M, Estimated 4-Day Holiday $7.5M, Estimated Cume $109M ...

Sadly, all the animated steeds have departed the Top Ten.

Add On: Even though animated features animated features have fallen from the Top of the Chart, a variety of our fine conglomerates still have several in release.

13) Despicable Me -- $2,824,000 -- total domestic: $240,275,000

17) Toy Story 3 -- $1.9 million -- total domestic: $408 million

32) Shrek Forever After -- total domestic gross: $238,359,000

You will note that Universal-International's first big animated hit has now pulled away from the ogre in total U.S. and Canadian dollars. (Up at the top of the box office list, George Clooney scores a Number One opening with the American, which collects $13,000,000 over Labor day.)