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Matthew Huntley: Does anyone else think Burlesque could be trashy fun? Is that not the definition of "burlesque" in the first place? If people keep that in mind when going into this movie, I think they'll be pleasantly surprised and/or at least their expectations will be met. That's probably what's keeping the movie's head above water and preventing it from being an outright bomb.

Yes, $17 million is more or less what I expected. With huge post-holiday drop-offs sure to come, I think it will earn $6-$8 million next weekend and then be all but gone by Christmas, but a close of about $40 million seems likely. Sony/Screen Gems took a gamble by releasing it at Thanksgiving, but I think this result is what they would have got at any time of year. Better to earn back two-thirds of your budget than none at all.

Brett Beach: I am of the opinion that this does not look fun enough to be trashy fun. I think bets were definitely hedged by making this PG-13. A "burlesque" that the MPAA has deemed fit for a barely teen ain't no burlesque at all. The timing is also funny in that this is Cher's first lead role in ten years and this movie should have been made about that long ago, when Xtina was still the new former Mouseketeer on the block and not pushing 30 (although I do like that for balance, Kristen Bell, who plays her rival in the film, is about the same age as the pop star). This opening is better than I thought it would be for a project long past its sell by date. But set against that reported $55 million budget (!), it won't be turning a good profit until its theater days are as faded as a worn out tassel.

Reagen Sulewski: "Consider the alternative" does seem to be the story of this one. Glitter finished with $5 million. I have to concur with those that think this feels like a film that will exhaust the core of its audience rather quickly - though midnight screenings do seem to be in its future. They're going for the long tail on this.

Michael Lynderey: It's about what I was expecting at this point, but it's probably less than what the studio had in mind when they greenlit the film. I think the expectations for Christina Aguilera's film debut may have been bigger, even if the film didn't really come at her peak of popularity. Now it's looking to finish in the lower tier of musicals, even if it won't go down as another Rent or The Producers. The intriguing thing about the film is that it's going to end up as the highest grosser of Kristen Bell's three 2010 films. If you'd asked me a year ago, I would have guessed that Bell was really going to break out in 2010. But, through unfortunate luck or circumstance, she's somehow ended up in three box office disappointments. What I'm trying to say is: Katherine Heigl's knack for picking scripts shouldn't be so casually knocked.

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