Analysts Forecast a Feast at Thanksgiving Box Office : Movies: Arrival of ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Casino’ and others could help push revenues during the five-day film-going period past the record set in 1992.

Two weekends ago it was Ace Ventura, this past weekend 007, and over the long Thanksgiving holiday, cartoon heroes Woody the cowboy and Buzz the space ranger will duke it out with mobsters Sam and Nicky.

Hitting movie screens today will be Disney’s long-awaited computer-animated feature “Toy Story” and Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone. Then there’s Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in the buddy movie “Money Train,” “Nick of Time” starring Johnny Depp and the holdovers “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” and “GoldenEye,” the latest James Bond installment.

The box-office outlook is about as rosy as it gets for the five-day Thanksgiving moviegoing period, with industry watchers saying it could surpass the revenue record set in 1992.

“You’ve got a lot of diversity out there,” said Paul Dergarabedian, executive vice president of Exhibitor Relations, which tracks box-office receipts. “There’s something for everybody.”

“Toy Story” is expected to be the weekend’s big winner, making its debut on more than 2,400 screens, considered a very wide release. “GoldenEye” arrived on 2,667 screens and the Ace Ventura sequel appeared on more than 2,600. (“Casino,” which at three hours is more than twice as long as “Toy Story,” will run on 1,500 screens.)

Also, films the whole family can attend tend to dominate the box office over Thanksgiving. In 1992, with “Aladdin,” “Home Alone 2” and “The Bodyguard” in theaters, the top 50 films generated $140 million.

Last year was a close second, with the top 50 films grossing $139 million over the five days, led by “The Santa Clause” and “Star Trek: Generations.”

Given the success of the first “Ace Ventura” film, which catapulted comedian Jim Carrey to stardom, the $37.8 million generated by the sequel was predictable. But the success of “GoldenEye” (which took the top box-office spot with $26.2 million) and the resuscitation of the Bond franchise were surprising to some.

“I guess audiences were ready for Bond,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations. “Timing is a critical thing.”

Six years had elapsed since the last Bond film, which did unimpressive business. “GoldenEye’s” marketers went out of their way to convey the impression that this was not your father’s James Bond.

“If it was perceived as a dated commodity, it wouldn’t have had a chance,” said Gerry Rich, president of worldwide marketing for MGM/UA Distribution Co. “If this installment hadn’t worked, I don’t think there would have been any life for the franchise.”

The challenge for the film’s marketers was to reach a new, younger audience while still retaining the core group of loyal Bond fans, Rich said. (The film was rated PG-13 to attract younger viewers.)

The editing was faster-paced and sharper, more MTV-style, Rich said, and the action sequences delivered thrills in the vein of “Die Hard” and “True Lies.”

Indeed, a younger audience came out for the picture, according to exit polls conducted by MGM/UA. About 40% of the audience on opening weekend was under 25, Rich said.

“GoldenEye’s” success has also been credited to Pierce Brosnan, who plays the legendary agent.

“Brosnan’s interviews and appearances reminded the audience why they like Bond,” Rich said. “He exemplifies class, dignity and a wonderful sense of irony and sophistication.”

Brosnan’s publicist, Dick Guttman, said the actor is set to star in at least two more Bond films, the next due in 1997.