By Tim Briody

9. Friday After Next Why: Ice Cube goes to the well one more time and it should pay off pretty well. The success of Barbershop proves this is an under-served audience. Why Not: Despite outperforming it, Next Friday wasn't as well-received as the original Friday. March's All About the Benjamins under-performed. And that title is getting just a little bit silly, now.

8. Half Past Dead Why: Exit Wounds was a career reviver for Steven Segal with $18.5 million. This one has rap stars, too. It may be good counter-programming against Harry Potter. Good action warm-up before Die Another Day. Why Not: Exit Wounds dropped like a rock after its opening weekend. Doesn't have DMX or Jet Li, which Exit Wounds did.

7. I Spy Why: Owen Wilson is one of the funniest people on the planet. This actually looks pretty funny. It's bound to perform better than Pluto Nash. Even with so many box office disappointments, the masses have usually been quick to forgive Eddie Murphy. Why Not: I've been seeing ads for this for so long, I feel like I've seen the entire movie already.

6. The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs Clause Why: The first was a hit. And hey, it's the holidays. Everyone loves a Christmas film. (Uh, they do, right?) Why Not: It's just a little early for a Christmas film, isn't it? Not to mention that the first film was quite some time ago; the audience who liked it may not care.

5. Solaris Why: George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh are known quantities, and it opens over Thanksgiving. The premise is interesting and the early marketing is quite strong. Why Not: Could be a little too confusing for viewers. The marketing, which is especially key for this film, still has plenty of time to go wrong. Despite all the free hype it got, Full Frontal performed terribly.

4. 8 Mile Why: Because I can't stand Eminem. So to spite me, he'll be in a hit movie with lots of critical acclaim. The song from the soundtrack and ads is already a big hit on radio. The supposed acting chops of Slim Shady are enough of a curiosity to bring out the masses. Why Not: Because I can't stand Eminem, and neither can a lot of other people. May be platformed in order to build up buzz and awards consideration for Mr. Mathers.

3. Treasure Planet Why: A Disney Thanksgiving offering. Name one that's bombed. Why Not: Gives off a big Atlantis vibe, which was the worst-performing Disney animated film of the last decade-plus. If it ain't computer-generated, it ain't impressing the kiddies anymore.

2. Die Another Day Why: Bond. You know the second part. A name-brand moviegoers know and trust. The World is Not Enough was the most successful Bond film to date yet. And have you seen that Halle Berry picture? Why Not: The formula could be wearing thin wi...ah, I'm only kidding. The #1 and #2 films of the month are about as safe a bet as there's ever been.

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Why: Because the first film opened to $90 million, all the main cast returns, and it's Harry Freakin' Potter. Why Not: You're joking, right? Unless the entire audience decides to boycott the movie until J.K. Rowling decides to finish the fifth book in the series, there's little chance for the secret of the chamber to not be extremely large sums of money.