''Incredibles'' will derail ''Polar Express''

It’ll be the battle of the computer-animated films at the box office this weekend, as The Polar Express takes on reigning champ The Incredibles. But don’t expect the Tom Hanks train to make it to the top spot.

You’ve got to wonder why Warner Bros. would release Polar only five days after another computer-animated film, but hey, that’s why those executives make the big bucks. Polar, which opened Wednesday, grossed $2.6 million its first day, placing second to The Incredibles, which earned $4.5 million. After opening last weekend with a fantastic $70.5 million, The Incredibles will likely slip 35 percent to $46 million. The Polar Express, meanwhile, will have to settle for No. 2, with about $30 million.

After devouring The Grudge and Saw, horror fans will line up for Seed of Chucky, the latest entry in the Child’s Play series. Young males should flock to theaters to the tune of $15 million.

Rounding out the top five will be the new heist thriller After the Sunset (starring Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, and Woody Harrelson), which should see an $8 million debut, and Ray, which will slide to $7 million. Too bad that Ray Charles wasn’t computer-animated.