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Box Office Preview: 'Underworld' to bite again

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By PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, The Associated Press 4:56 PM Thursday, January 26, 2012

LOS ANGELES — Sony's "Underworld: Awakening" should be wide awake atop the domestic box office again this weekend, with a gross of around $12 million following last weekend's $25 million debut and continued dominance midweek.

Of course, the "Underworld" vampires will have to contend with newfound action star Liam Neeson as Open Road unleashes the R-rated Alaskan adventure "The Grey," which should wolf down from $10 million to $12 million in receipts.

Flying into its second weekend, Fox's World War II drama "Red Tails" from George Lucas will set its sights on a gross in the $10 million range.

Crowding those skies even more will be Sam Worthington as the "Man on a Ledge," a debuting crime thriller from Summit Entertainment that should also earn around $10 million.

With two Oscar nominations, including best picture, the 9/11 drama "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" from Warner Bros. enters its second weekend of wide release with solid momentum. But it will have to contend with the opening weekend of Lionsgate's Katherine Heigl comedy "One for the Money" for a spot in the top 5 and grosses in the $8 million to $10 million range.

Look for major Oscar nominees such as "The Descendants," ''Hugo" and "The Artist" to get a bit of an "Oscar bounce" as their higher profiles and additional screens make them more of a "must see" this weekend.

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Paul Dergarabedian is president of the Box Office Division of Hollywood.com and provides box office analysis for The Associated Press.

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Online: www.Hollywood.com

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January 26, 2012 09:52 PM EST

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