'Megamind' and 'Due Date' vie for top of the US box office

With the horror films of Halloween over, its time to kick off November with some comedy and this weekend delivers laughs with two potential blockbusters packed with star power. The 3D animated film Megamind, and rollicking Due Date, from the producers of The Hangover, will battle each other for moviegoers' attention.

Megamind, starring the voice talents of Will Farrell, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, is a 3D animated tale of a villain who must redeem himself. In a similar vein to the current international hit Despicable Me, it is a send up of superheroes. With the appealing all-star cast, this family-friendly fare might follow the success of the year's previous 3D computer-animated movies which made more than $200 million.

Following hits Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr. costars in Due Date with Zach Galifianakis, who re-teams with Todd Phillips, director of The Hangover. That hit made $277.3 million last year, and this pairing of an expectant father-to-be stuck on a cross-country road trip with a wild man, could stir up the same box office popularity.

For Colored Girls, starring Janet Jackson and directed by Tyler Perry, who puts his "Madea" comedies aside to offer a serious take on this award-winning 1970s stage drama by Ntozake Shange. It won't near the top spot but could be as strong as his production of Precious last year.

Also in limited release this weekend are a couple high-profile films set to expand over the coming weeks and already garnering speculation of Oscar nominations. James Franco stars in 127 Hours and Sean Penn and Naomi Watts in Fair Game, a thriller about the political scandal of outing a CIA agent and attempt to discredit her diplomat husband.

RC