Movie News

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmases

December 1, 2008


The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the five-day Thanksgiving 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 got in the spirit as New Line/Warner Bros.' new holiday comedy, Four Christmases, topped the box office with an estimated $46.7 million Wednesday through Sunday. Starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, the film averaged $14,112 in 3,310 theaters and cost about $80 million to make. Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Voight and Sissy Spacek co-star in the Seth Gordon-directed movie.

Last weekend's champ, Summit Entertainment's Twilight dropped to second and earned $39.5 million over the extended holiday weekend, pushing its total to $119.7 million after just two weeks. Based on the Stephenie Meyer novel, the vampire love story cost just $37 million to make.

Walt Disney Pictures' animated comedy adventure Bolt remained in third place and added $36 million. The movie has reached $66.9 million after two weeks.

Sony/MGM's Quantum of Solace dropped two spots to fourth and collected $28.1 million domestically in its third weekend, for a total of $142.1 million. Internationally, the 22nd James Bond film again won the weekend with $20.1 million from 73 markets, raising its foreign gross to $340.1 million. It is $92 million away from overtaking 2006's Casino Royale ($432.1 million) as the biggest foreign grosser of the 007 series. Worldwide, the film has reached $368.2 million.

Rounding out the top five was Baz Luhrmann's new epic Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. The film has earned $20 million from 2,642 theaters since opening Wednesday, averaging $7,570 per site. 20th Century Fox's romantic action adventure was made for $130 million.

DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa earned an additional $19.6 million in its fourth weekend. Produced for about $150 million, the sequel is at $159.5 million.

Jason Statham's return as Frank Martin in Transporter 3 landed in the seventh spot with $18.5 million from 2,626 million. The Lionsgate action film averaged $7,045 per theater.

Universal Pictures' Role Models continued to do well, making another $7.8 million in its fourth weekend for a total of $57.9 million. The Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd comedy cost only $28 million to make.

Focus Features released Gus Van Sant's Milk, starring Sean Penn, in just 36 theaters where it brought in an impressive $1.9 million, or an average of $51,833 per location.

Click here for the full box office results of the top 12 films.

COMMENTS (30)

Posted by:
K.M.A.
November 30, 2008
Strange thing about "Four Christmases" being number one at the box office. Recent X-Mas movies never even cracked the top five.
Posted by:
Frozone
November 30, 2008
Wow. Australia looks like a real flop.

There was nothing to watch this week-end, and yet a silly-looking rom-com takes the top spot over that much-publicized epic. Weird.
Posted by:
Boltforth
November 30, 2008
Transporter 3's the bigger flop, why this was made into a trilogy i'll never know
Posted by:
Frozone
November 30, 2008
I give you that, they could've stoppped Frank Martin's stupid "saga" after the first one. Statham owed Besson a favor, I suppose...

But when you compare their take to their respective budgets, I think Australia looks even worse. It cost what, twice or thrice the Transporter's budget? Marketing costs not included.
Posted by:
Air Force One
November 30, 2008
Man Transporter should have own the weekend. It would be a good build up toward's this week's Punisher: War Zone.
Posted by:
kaiser117
November 30, 2008
a Christmas movie at the top? Wow. Hey I actually liked Twilight so I'm disappointed it dropped, but it almost won this weekend if you look closer. And I am a heterosexual male. Weird, I know. When I told my friends that are also guys, they looked at me like I had just come out of the closet. You can all judge, but the books actually get more action packed as the whole romance thing is already established.
Posted by:
sold
November 30, 2008
Australia might've hit third but I get the feeling it's going to linger for a while because of all the Oscar talk. Defintely a surprising weekend. Would've liked to see QoS beat out the cheesefest known as Twilight (hell, or even Bolt) but oh well.

Hate to break it Air Force One but I have a bad feeling Punisher is going to TANK!
Posted by:
what?????
November 30, 2008
kaiser117: you're in denial.
Posted by:
abe
November 30, 2008
Sold, I second that feeling, especially as PWZ doesn't come out in Australia until February!
Even still, when it does I'll be there to see it. So will my brother.
There's two Australian movie ticket sales....
Posted by:
Cybertron
November 30, 2008
Transporter 3 was awesome and I hope they make a 4!

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