The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office.
Moviegoers were out in force over the Thanksgiving holiday as the industry set new 3-day and 5-day records. The overall movie industry earned $210 million for the 3-day weekend and $295 million for the five days, both the biggest ever.
Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 continued to lead the worldwide box office, adding another $64 million domestically for the five days to take its total to $226.95 million after two weeks. Internationally, the final installment (which cost $120 million to make) grossed $97.4 million this weekend in 73 markets, bringing the film’s overseas total to $350.8 million and worldwide total to $577.7 million. The success of “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” has allowed Summit’s parent company, Lionsgate, to cross the $1 billion mark internationally for the first time in the history of the studio. The studios worldwide take for 2012 is now over the $2 billion mark, also a first-ever milestone for the studio. (Domestic = $1.18 billion; International = $1.005 billion.)
Sony and MGM’s Skyfall remained in second place domestically with $51 million over the five-day period to take its three-week total to $221.7 million in North America. It is the first time a James Bond film has ever crossed $200 million or more domestically. Skyfall added $41.3 million overseas this weekend, bringing its international total to $568.4 million. Made for $200 million, the film has now grossed more than $790.1 million worldwide.
Third place belonged to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, which earned $34.1 million for the five days and has now collected $62.2 million domestically after three weeks. The film cost about $65 million to make.
DreamWorks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians, featuring the voices of Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law, opened in the fourth spot with an estimated $32.6 million from 3,653 theaters for the five-day frame. Receiving an A CinemaScore, the $145 million animated adventure debuted to $10 million from eight international markets for an overseas total of $13.5 million.
Ang Lee’s Life of Pi rounded out the top five with $30.2 million from 2,902 theaters. The $120 million film, which received an A- CinemaScore, debuted to $17.5 million overseas in just four markets.
Walt Disney Pictures’ Wreck-It Ralph dropped two spots to sixth but still earned $23 million over the five days to push its total to $149.5 million. Made for $165 million, the animated film has reached $41.2 million internationally for a worldwide total of $190.8 million after four weeks.
The long-delayed Red Dawn remake, which was shot in late 2009, opened to $22 million from 2,724 theaters its first five days. Produced for $65 million, the FilmDistrict release stars Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, Connor Cruise and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Robert Zemeckis’s Flight continued to perform strong in eighth place with another $11.4 million its fourth weekend in theaters. The Denzel Washington-starrer, made for just $31 million, has now earned $74.9 million.
In limited release, The Weinstein Company increased the theater count for David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook to 367 theaters in which it made $5.9 million, an average of $16,080. The film has now earned $6.5 million after two weeks. Fox Searchlight also opened Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren and Scarlett Johansson, in 17 theaters where it made $301,000, an average of $17,706.
Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films.
