The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I was easily able to hold the top spot, and held a bit better than it did on Thanksgiving weekend. Dropping 60% to $16.5 million, its' 17-day total went up to a solid $246.9 million. That was the highest-grossing third weekend for a Twilight film, and the drop was lower than Eclipse and New Moon, though its' cumulative gross trails those two by about $10 million. Looks like it may stay that way for the remainder of the films' run, as it will probably end its' run at $285 million domestically. It has also banked nearly $550 million worldwide.
Family movies once again took up six of the Top 10 slots.
Unfortunately for The Muppets, it hasn't found sustainability yet. The reboot dropped an alarming 62% to $11.1 million, for a pretty strong $56.4 million in 12 days. The percentage drop was more precipitous than Enchanted and Tangled, and its' gross is still considerably behind those two titles. While it has become a success as it was produced for just $45 million, analysts are now saying that the film will miss the $100 million mark domestically. But its' too early to say that, because Muppets still has a strong pull for family audiences, while Thanksgiving weekend primarily played to nostalgic adults (65% of audience was over the age of 18 based on last weeks' polls). With that in mind, it makes sense why this critically-acclaimed film dropped so hard, but no doubt about it, Disney is going to hard-press more advertising and hope for serious legs throughout the remainder of the holidays and into the new year.
Jumping up from fifth to third, Martin Scorcese's Hugo was able to defy post-Thanksgiving standards, easing just 34% to $7.6 million, for a $25.1 million tally in 12 days. That kind of hold can be credited to the fact that distributor Paramount Pictures expanded it to over 500 more theaters, plus early awards season buzz. If it can continue to expand next week, then it should be able to continue playing throughout the Christmas season.
Holding onto the fourth spot, families began to catch up with Arthur Christmas as it also defied post-Thanksgiving standards, holding well with a 39% ease to $7.4 million, for a $25.3 million tally in 12 days. That was a stronger post-Thanksgiving hold than A Christmas Carol and The Polar Express through the same point, which indicates that Arthur will see much stronger holds through the next three weekends. More indicators include the films' huge 111% bump from Friday to Saturday and being the best-reviewed animated film of the year (92% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a positive review).
Happy Feet Two slid from third to fifth and plunged 56% to $5.9 million on the weekend, for a weak $51.7 million tally in 17 days. Its' likely that this latest animated sequel will become one of the biggest disappointments of the year, as its' final gross will be lucky to reach $75 million stateside. Hopefully overseas grosses will fare better. On a brighter side, Jack & Jill was able to hold sixth place and dropped just 46% in its' fourth weekend, grossing $5.4 million and bringing its' total to a modest $64.2 million in 24 days, and may reach its' $80 million budget by the time its' all said and done.
George Clooney's The Descendants climbed to seventh place in its' third weekend and dropped just 35% to $4.8 million, for a $17.7 million tally in 17 days, and averaging a Top 10-best $9,059 from just 574 theaters. Immortals also sustained well for a big-budget film, easing 50% to $4.5 million, for a $75.7 million tally in 24 days. It has become a modest success and will likely finish in the $80-$85 million range.
Tower Heist jumped up a spot to ninth place and actually is showing some late-run sustainability in its' fifth weekend, easing just 45% to $4 million, for a $70.6 million tally in one month of release. Looks like its' going to finish with a modest $75-$80 million domestically with some good returns coming overseas. Puss in Boots rounds out the Top 10 in its' sixth weekend in theaters, and as expected, plunges 59% to $3 million, for a $139.5 million tally in 37 days, along with close to $250 million worldwide. On the stateside front, it should be able to at least match MegaMind's final tally.
Overall box office was down 7% from the same time last year when Disney's Tangled jumped from second to first with a 56% drop to $21.3 million, for a strong $96.6 million tally in 12 days. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I dropped to second place, plunging 65% to $17 million for a mammoth $244.5 million tally in 17 days. Musical romance comedy Burlesque jumped from fourth to third with a 49% ease to $6.1 million, while Unstoppable jumped up a spot to fourth with a 48% drop to roughly $6 million. Love and Other Drugs was able to jump up a spot and round out the Top 5 with a light 42% ease to $5.7 million, while the lone new release, action epic The Warrior's Way, was ignored with just $3 million.
Here is the final Top 10:
# Movie Final Numbers Projected Estimates My Prediction
1 The Twilight Saga: $16,535,465 $16,900,000 $13,500,000
Breaking Dawn Part I
2 The Muppets $11,082,755 $11,200,000 $12,900,000
3 Hugo $7,557,709 $7,600,000 $5,500,000
4 Arthur Christmas $7,401,736 $7,350,000 $6,900,000
5 Happy Feet Two $5,919,390 $6,000,000 $5,500,000
6 Jack & Jill $5,356,973 $5,500,000 $4,700,000
7 The Descendants $4,789,741 $5,200,000 $4,500,000
8 Immortals $4,464,889 $4,394,000 $3,800,000
9 Tower Heist $3,953,925 $4,100,000 $3,200,000
10 Puss in Boots $3,042,241 $3,050,000 $3,000,000
