'x-files' 'x'pectations: Xxl 'x-files' 'x'pectations: Xxl / Fans Will Flock To Bigger Screen;...

The truth is right here: "The X-Files" is positioned to put up otherworldly numbers at the boxoffice this weekend.

The marketplace is responding so positively, in fact, that there can be little question it will be the top-performing picture of the period. How big the booty will be is anyone's guess, but by way of perspective, "The X-Files'" prerelease profile is slightly more promising than the one exhibited two weeks ago by Paramount's "The Truman Show," which went on to earn $44 million in its first seven days.

Of course, "The X-Files" does not boast a star of the stature of "Truman's" Jim Carrey, the acknowledged king of big-screen comedy. What it does have, however, is a rabid following of fans of the hit TV show and enough indicated interest from other quarters to suggest blockbuster potential.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson star as FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, roles they created in the Fox network series. In the movie version, directed by first-time feature helmer Rob Bowman, the partners in paranormal investigation find clues to some of the mysteries that have vexed them during the life of the TV show at the site of a bombed-out Dallas office building.

Males are the main market for the movie, with all age groups apparently deeply involved. Women are not nearly as interested, with the weakest indicators coming from the over-25 set.

Importantly, "The X-Files" secured a PG-13 rating, which will allow for unchaperoned attendance by the important teenage segment. Also significant is that the NBA Finals have concluded, and there is no other major sporting event save the U.S. Open golf tournament that might distract males from going to the movies.

"Truman," which has earned better than $70 million in two weeks, represents the most daunting competition.

Also debuting today is "Mulan," the latest animated extravaganza from Disney. Prerelease potential is always difficult to assess for films that attract primarily families, but this entry has all the earmarks of a big winner and should carve out a substantial slice of this weekend's boxoffice pie as well.

"Mulan" is a musical adventure about a brave Chinese girl who disguises herself as a boy and joins forces with an irrepressible dragon in order to fight the Huns. Ming Na-Wen provides the voice of Fa Mulan, and Eddie Murphy speaks for the dragon.

Children with their parents represent the primary audience for "Mulan." That the main character is a girl appears to be skewing appeal toward young females. Boys are not nearly as intrigued, though the story's action angle should bring them in to some degree.

There is no significant competition to "Mulan" in the marketplace. Only Warner Bros.' "Quest for Camelot" comes close to playing to the same crowd, and it has grown long in the tooth after generating more than $21 million in five weeks.

The third national release due today is Miramax's "Hav Plenty." Prerelease scores are woefully low, suggesting that the film will face tough going outside its core constituency.

Newcomer Christopher Scott Cherot wrote, directed and stars in the romantic comedy set during a New Year's weekend.

Interest is strongest among black females, who relate best to the story of a successful black woman who falls for a down-on-his-luck writer. There is little involvement among mainstream moviegoers, however.

The competitive landscape is clear, as none of last weekend's top-10 performers is geared directly to the black market.

In limited release action, Sony Pictures Classics offers up "Henry Fool" and "Marie Baie des Agnes" in New York. "Fool" is a comedy-drama written and directed by Hal Hartley, and "Agnes" is a French drama directed by first-timer Manuel Pradel.

Lions Gate places the Ione Skye vehicle "Dream for an Insomniac" in selected markets. And Cowboy Releasing's "Dear Jesse" plays New York.