Pre-Thanksgiving tracking suggests a newbie race between Enchanted (78, 36 and 13) and Hitman (60, 35 and 13) — the latter has young males and something of an edge. August Rush will bring up the rear with 53, 34 and 9. Stephen King’s The Mist is just behind at 63, 31 and 8, and No Country for Old Men is at 49, 33 and 6. (It’s the best reviewed and most talked-about film of the last couple of weeks and a big buzz title since Cannes, and half of the Lazy-Boy potatoes contacted for the tracking survey have never heard of it.)

The Golden Compass opens on 12.7 (two weeks from Friday) and it’s only at 69, 24 and 4. New Line has its work cut out — this could mean trouble. I Am Legend (12.14) is three weeks out and doing much better — 65, 46 and 9. Will Smith irritates more often than not, but he’s a very bankable star.