Victoria Day may not be as big a deal for movies as Memorial Day, but exhibitors in Canada expect to do above-average business this weekend, thanks to the holiday Monday and family friendliness of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

"We're anticipating anywhere between a 20% to 25% bump," says Dean Leland, VP of marketing for Halifax-based Empire Theatres, eyeing the Disney wide release and sequel to 2005's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. "We see the usual business on Friday and Saturday, but we get the bump on Sunday because people don't have to get up for work the next day."

Pat Marshall of Cineplex agrees the company will "absolutely" see a bump in sales, though unlike most people, she's hoping for bad weather, noting that, "Rain is good for us in the movie business.

"If it rains this weekend we will do better than if it's a beautiful sunny day," she says.

Leland and Marshall agree that the fantasy's family-friendly tone also bodes well for ticket sales. "It's the perfect opportunity for people to go out and enjoy it as a family," says Marshall.

"It has a built-in audience already, because it's a sequel, and it comes from Disney, which has a great brand attachment," adds Leland.

The summer blockbuster season will begin in earnest on Thursday with the release of Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Meanwhile, Alliance Vivafilm will bow the political thriller Le piège américain, from director Charles Binamé (Maurice Richard), on 44 screens across Quebec.

"It's an important release for us," says AV president Patrick Roy via e-mail from Cannes. "Charles is one of the most talented and appreciated directors in Quebec."

Américain features popular thesps Rémy Girard (The Barbarian Invasions) and Colm Feore (Bon Cop, Bad Cop) in a 1960s-set story inspired by the life and crimes of legendary Québécois gangster Lucien Rivard. It is written and produced by TV veterans Fabienne Larouche and Michel Trudeau.

The dialogue is mostly French, though Girard recorded an English version of his narration. Vivafilm is releasing one print in English in Montreal and may expand to English Canada.

Victoria Day is not celebrated in Quebec, though the province marks Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in June. That holiday does not pay off for exhibitors, however.

"There are lots of [outdoor] activities and celebrations, so indeed the Saint-Jean long weekend is usually less interesting in theaters," notes Roy.

Also on screens: documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) returns Friday with Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?. The doc, in which Spurlock sets out to find the most wanted man on Earth, opens on eight screens in cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Montreal through Alliance Films.

Meanwhile, Maximum Film Distribution is bowing the acclaimed French drama The Flight of the Red Balloon, starring Juliette Binoche, on one screen at Toronto's Royal theater. Other cities will follow in the coming weeks.