A 'Valentine' for the weekend box-office? (HWD)

By Paul Dergarabedian and Wiretap Staff

In the shadow of last year's record-breaking President's weekend led by Warner Bros.' "Friday the 13th" and "He's Just Not That Into You," comes another romantic comedy and horror combination to entice audiences into the multiplex.

With the ensemble romantic comedy "Valentine's Day" bringing a star-studded cast and an irresistible title to a romance-starved nation, and Universal's "The Wolfman" offering up a nice R-rated alternative, this could prove to be a very strong weekend indeed.

In addition, family audiences will not feel left out as Fox brings a new potential franchise to life with the long-titled book adaptation "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief."

With Fox's "Avatar" still very much in the fight and Sony/Screen Gems' giant-killer "Dear John" expecting a nice second weekend valentine, there is a chance that this could wind up coming close to, or surpassing last year's $220.1 million record-setting 4-day frame.

The industry could certainly use a boost with attendance falling below last year's levels at this point, (which last year were showing a YTD advantage over 2008 of 20%) and a four weekend down streak that is stealing some momentum from the year's box-office trajectory.

Nonetheless, this weekend's line-up presents a very formidable combination of newcomers and holdovers that should conspire to give us at least a fighting chance at breaking this month long losing streak. As always, Holiday weekends showcase the best of what Hollywood has to offer and an extra day for moviegoers to enjoy a chance to discover a new movie or catch up with one of the many Oscar nominees that are still playing in theaters.