Top 10 for December 29-January 1, 2006 Summary: Sunday estimates are in.
Happy New Year everyone!
Fox's holiday smash hit Night at the Museum ruled the New Year's weekend in much the same fashion as it did the Christmas frame, as the Ben Stiller family comedy raked in an estimated $46.7 million over the four-day Friday to Monday frame, pushing its eleven day take to a very impressive $125.8 million. With the strong weekend Museum became Stiller's sixth film to surpass $100 million, and its $125.8 million eleven-day take has already surpassed the $120.6 million 13-day start of King Kong, which opened over Christmas weekend last year. With schools on Holiday break and plenty of options available at theaters, Night's clear domination at the box office and 20% spike in sales from last weekend indicate strong word of mouth that should help propel the film towards $200 million domestically. Overseas, the film has grossed $65 million, bringing its worldwide take to $191 million.
Will Smith's feel-good drama The Pursuit of Happyness continued its strong run, maintaining its hold on the second spot with an estimated $24.7 million over the four-day frame. In 18 days the Sony hit has amassed $103.7 million, becoming the tenth $100 million grossing film of Smith's career. At its current pace, look for the film to reach $140-150 million domestically.
In its first weekend in "wide" release, Paramount/DreamWorks' acclaimed musical Dreamgirls grossed an estimated $18.7 million over four days, averaging an incredible $21,915 in just 852 theaters. Despite spending a majority of its four weeks in limited release, the film has amassed an impressive $41.6 million, and should expand into 1,800 theaters by the January 12th MLK Jr. Day Holiday frame. Written and directed by Bill Condon, Dreamgirls has been receiving plenty of early Best Picture buzz for the Oscars. Look for the Jamie Foxx-Beyonce Knowles musical to have a similar run as 2002's Chicago. That film -- also written by Condon -- started off in limited release; but after winning six Oscars including Best Picture, Chicago finished its domestic run with a dazzling $170.6 million.
In fourth was Paramount's well-reviewed children's remake Charlotte's Web, which took in an estimated $15.1 million over the four-day frame, bringing its three week cume to $55.9 million. With good word of mouth, look for the $85 million budgeted picture to finish with $90 million domestically.
Rounding out the top five was Matt Damon's spy thriller The Good Shepherd with an estimated $14.3 million. In two weeks, the Universal picture has grossed $38.3 million.
Still hanging in there in its second round was Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa with an estimated $13.7 million, bringing its 13-day cume to $51.1 million. Budgeted at a modest $24 million, look for the MGM release to finish with a highly profitable $75 million domestically.
Thanks to the extended Holiday break, Warner's smash animated hit Happy Feet took in an estimated $9.7 million over the four-day frame, pushing its seven week cume to $178 million. Budgeted at $100 million, the penguin dance-a-thon has tapped its way to $292 million worldwide.
In limited release, Fox Searchlight's drama Notes on a Scandal took in an estimated $550,000 in 22 theaters for a strong $25,000 average. In two weeks, the Judi Dench starrer has grossed $750,000. MGM's Renee Zellweger starrer Miss Potter debuted with a less impressive $13,000 from two theaters for a less than stellar $6,477 average.
Thanks to a surprisingly strong sophomore frame from Night at the Museum, the top ten films grossed an estimated $172 million over the four-day Holiday frame, up 8% from last year's comparable weekend when The Chronicles of Narnia held the top spot with $33.7 million.
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