Forget the talk about Resident Evil and Good Luck, Chuck being in a neck-and-neck competition this weekend — the Milla Jovovich horror flick will be the absolute, far-and-away champ with a $20 million-plus weekend haul. Evil did about $9 million yesterday and is being projected to earn $23,444,000 at $8200 a print while the second-place Chuck is looking at a projected $13,2000,000 and $5000 a print.

The Brave One followed its underwhelming 9.14 debut with a 48% second-weekend dropoff — a decently made film but forget it, it’s done, that’s all she wrote — with $7,025,000.

The fourth-place Eastern Promises will do about $5,672,000 and $4000 a print.

James Mangold‘s 3:10 to Yuma will come in fifth with $5,6549,000 — this will put the cume at $37,200,000 with the final tally expected to ring up between $40 and $45 million, which is what Lionsgate was hoping for all along. Why won’t it make $60 or $70 million? Russell Crowe has a limited following and the western is a bygone genre.

Sidney White will be sixth with $4,631,000 and 2000 a print….done. Mr. Woodcock will be seventh with $2,997,000. Superbad will be eighth with $2,793,000 (the cume will hit $116 million). Across the Universe in 200-odd theatres will come in ninth with $2,096,000 and $7800 per print.

And Paul Haggis‘s In The Valley of Elah, playing in over 300 theatres, will be tenth with $1,076,000 and almost $3400 per print…finished. American “empties” have blown off one of the strongest and most stirring films of the year. I’m ashamed for these drug addicts (i.e., people doped on innumerable lifestyle diversions) and furious at them at the same time. They need to be disciplined. They need to be taken out behind the outhouse and given the belt.

The Hunting Party, in 300-odd theatres, will come away with $342,000 and about $1000 a print….graveyard.

Into the Wild is a corker, though — playing in just 4 theatres it will manage $50,000 a print and a $200,000 tally — that’s very strong.

The Assassination of Jesse James will do $151,000 and $10,000 a print…not bad but not strong enough. Half-inch-deep Americans have turned their backs on a landmark art film that audiences of taste and breeding will be watching 20, 50 and 100 years from now and saying to themselves, “What could have been wrong with average moviegoers back then to have ignored this amazing film? Were they alco- holics? Heroin addicts?”

The Jane Austen Book Club, in 25 theatres, will do $145,000 and $5800 a print…fizzle.