It Looks to Be an Animated Thanksgiving

There’s a battle brewing at the box office, and we don’t mean Agent 007 (“The World Is Not Enough”) versus the Headless Horseman (“Sleepy Hollow”), both of which open Friday. No, this is a battle of animated family films, pitting in one corner the Warner Bros. blockbuster hit “Pokemon: The First Movie” and in the other, Disney/Pixar’s highly anticipated sequel “Toy Story 2.” And, if recent history is any gauge, both films could emerge big winners. Already, the box office generated by “Pokemon” has shattered all existing records for November. On its opening day last Wednesday, the film sold $10.1 million in tickets, breaking a slew of industry and studio records. By Sunday, “Pokemon” had taken in an estimated $52.1 million in five days. Does that spell trouble for “Toy Story 2”? Not necessarily. To be sure, “Pokemon” still will be drawing legions of kids and parents into theaters by the time “Toy Story 2” opens Friday at the El Capitan in Hollywood before going nationwide on Nov. 24. (Both films will be playing on roughly 3,000 screens.) “But if anybody can do it, Disney can,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co. “Disney has sort of owned Thanksgiving for many years in terms of having the No. 1 film at the box office.” He noted that Disney films have ranked first every Thanksgiving since 1994, with “The Santa Clause,” “Toy Story,” “101 Dalmatians,” “Flubber” and “A Bug’s Life” among the list. Dergarabedian also noted that last Thanksgiving, Disney faced a similar situation and came out on top. In that case, Paramount Pictures’ “The Rugrats Movie” grossed $27.3 million a week before Disney was to come out with “A Bug’s Life.” But “The Rugrats Movie” just seemed to get families in the mood for other animated fare. “A Bug’s Life” opened to $45.7 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. “ ‘Pokemon’ is a juggernaut,” Dergarabedian said, “but Disney has a two-week buffer. It’s all good news for kids.”

Youth Violence Remains a Hot Topic

The issue of teenagers and violence remains a serious one for media companies, which found themselves on the defensive after a spate of school shootings, highlighted by last spring’s deadly events at Columbine High School in Colorado. This week, several TV programs address the topic of youth violence head-on, including “America’s Sons,” an ABC News series about the state of boys in the U.S. that will feature reports cutting across “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight,” “20/20” and “Nightline.” Two prime-time specials will also delve into similar territory: UPN’s “Teen Files: The Truth About Violence,” from “Scared Straight!” producer Arnold Shapiro; and “Fight for Your Rights,” a report on hate crimes airing Thursday on MTV. Both use case studies to illustrate their points: MTV’s show profiles four youths victimized by hate-related violence, while the UPN special--airing Friday and hosted by Leeza Gibbons--discusses factors that may contribute to youth violence before ultimately laying much of the responsibility on negligent parenting. Whatever the root cause, as the election year nears, the symptoms will no doubt remain a hot topic.

At 72, What’s a Cuban Superstar to Do? Lots

First brought to the world’s attention as the handsome and charismatic lead singer of the Cuban ensemble Buena Vista Social Club, Ibrahim Ferrer is basking in the superstardom that has come for him at age 72, thanks to a successful album, produced by Ry Cooder, and a documentary on the group by Wim Wenders.. Ferrer’s solo album held strongly at No. 3 on the Billboard Latin chart last week, after 22 weeks on the market, putting him just below pop sensations Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel. And he’s not slowing down. On Thursday, Ferrer sings for a sold-out crowd at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, co-headlining with fellow Social Club member, pianist Ruben Gonzalez, who has enjoyed moderate success with his own solo album. Both musicians perform again at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Saturday in another sold-out show. And they’ve already been booked for return engagements--Feb. 18 at the Wiltern Theatre and Feb. 23, again at Royce Hall. Those February dates will take place just days after the Academy Award nominations are announced, which could include a nod for the Wenders documentary.

--Compiled by Times Staff Writers