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July 4
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HANCOCK SOAR TO $24.1 million

Sony's Will Smith tentpole "Hancock" grossed $17.3 million from 3,965 runs on Wednesday, its first full day in release.

That's a somewhat softer number than some expected, considering Smith's star status.

Sony said the film, about a down-and-out superhero, is off to a great start. Film's cume is $24.1 million when factoring in the $6.8 million earned in Tuesday night previews.

Most still expect the film to make near a $100 million over the extended July 4th holiday stretch, but Wednesday's gross means film will have to perform strongly from here on out.

Last July 4th, Paramount's "Transformers" grossed $27.8 million in its first full day of release, and $155.4 million for the long holiday.

Some are watching to see if generally poor reviews will hurt "Hancock," although most believe they won't have an impact because of Smith's box office appeal.

DAILY BOX OFFICE RESULTS

CLICK HERE to read the WEEKEND Box Office Results! See how WALL*E and WANTED made!

Read reviews of the top 6 films at the box office this weekend

WALL*E Directed by Andrew Stanton Voices by Ben Burtt Jeff Garlin	Kung Fu Panda Directed by Mark Osborne John Stevenson Voices by Jack Black Dustin Hoffman

Get Smart Directed by Peter Segal Starring Steve Carell Anne Hathaway	Wanted Directed by Timur Bekmambetov Starring James McAvoy Morgan Freeman Angelina Jolie

The Incredible Hulk Directed by Louis Leterrier Starring Edward Norton Liv Tyler	The Love Guru Directed by Marco Schnabel Starring Mike Myers Justin Timberlake

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OSCAR CANDIDATES LAGGING

As of Monday, the year was at the halfway mark, so in theory, the 2008 awards race is half over.

Not a chance. The past six months have offered fewer potential contenders than any January-June period in memory.

At least on paper, this year looks like a return to the old days, when the majors dominated awards and most of the nominees bowed late in the year -- in contrast with recent history, when the Oscar charge was led by specialty divisions and fall launches.

In the last six months, there have been possible nominees in the below-the-line Oscar races ("Iron Man," "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "Forbidden Kingdom," "The Incredible Hulk," "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," "Wanted," "Hancock," etc.), and there have been strong toons ("Horton Hears a Who," "Kung Fu Panda," "Wall-E") as well as too many docus to mention.

But as for potential action in the "money" categories, not so much. However, keep an eye on Overture's "The Visitor": Lead actor Richard Jenkins has rightly earned awards buzz, but the film has many other virtues (Thomas McCarthy's script and direction, the other performances, etc.). McCarthy, a talented actor in his own right, has crafted an actors' movie -- a character study with current-event concerns -- that will play well on DVD, so late-year mailings could pay off.