One box-office-assessment says that The Expendables, terrible as it is, made $13.5 million yesterday with a projected $33 to $35 million weekend haul, depending on the word-of-mouth Saturday drop. (Which ought to be sizable.) The second-place Eat Pray Love earned a little over $9 million yesterday, and is looking at $26 or $27 million for the weekend. It’s not a great film but it’s not going to take a significant Saturday hit — if anything it might bump up a notch.

The Other Guys will come in third, having made $5.7 million yesterday (down 56%!) with an expected $17 to $17.5 million weekend tally and close to a 70 million cume.

Oh, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? A moderately suck-ass #4 position with an estimated $4.5 to $5 million yesterday but with a possible sizable drop today, which will probably result in $11 million for the weekend. Edgar Wright and Michael Cera can wait outside in the lobby and read a magazine. I don’t feel even a trace of those suicide issues from two days ago.

Inception came in fifth, having earned 3.4 million yesterday (a drop of 38%) for an $11 to $12 million tally and an overall $248.6 million cume. Step Up is sixth — $2.3 milion yesterday (down 65%…hah!) for $6.5 milllion and a $29.5 million cume. Despicable Me is seventh with $2.3 million yesterday, a projected Sunday night tally of $7.8 million and a grand total of $223 million. Dinner for Schmucks did $2 million yesterday, will do $6.5 million for the weekend. Salt is looking at the same $6.5 million and will be passing 100 million today.