Now that Thanksgiving has passed, a few films are feeling nice and fat (Four Christmases, Twilight) and a few…well, let’s just say that their box office coffers could still use some stuffing (Australia, Transporter 3). So what were the big winners and losers from the first half of this long holiday weekend? Below, I’ve ranked the major movies at the multiplex by how much money they brought in on Wednesday and Thursday combined. (Special props to Four Christmases, the runaway champ on Thanksgiving day proper, with $8.9 mil.) And don’t forget to check back here on Sunday for a complete weekend wrapup in the Box Office Report, you turkeys!
1. Four Christmases — $15 mil
2. Twilight — $13.2 mil
3. Bolt — $9.4 mil
4. Quantum of Solace — $8.6 mil
5. Transporter 3 — $6.1 mil
6. Australia — $5.2 mil
7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa — $4.9 mil
SATURDAY QUICK UPDATE: Four Christmases easily won Friday, as well, with $13.2 mil, versus $11 mil for Twilight. Australia continued to trail way back in sixth place, with $5.7 mil.
More Box Office News:
Box Office Preview: Can Twilight hold off Four Christmases and Australia?
Twilight sinks its teeth into a blockbuster debut
Twilight grosses $35.7 mil on Friday
Quantum of Solace Stirs up a Win
Holiday Films to Receive Season’s Greetings, Beatings
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I find it highly amusing that your cover story is about how Twilight is dominating and exploding when as of right now it cant even hold the number 1 position 2 weeks in a row. If its numbers keep up this way it will have dropped almost 65% which is considerably substantial. Sure it had a big opening week, but obviously the film has turned many people off seeing as they arent returning. Perhaps like me, they realize the hype was only that and the film is nothing but a disappointing mess
I completely agree with stephanie. It sees like EW is advertising for twilight, non stop. its getting so ridiculous. Twilights ox office run is impressive— but come on, harry potter would have been ten times stronger ( it opened to 102 million, ad a 5 day thanksgiving gross of 81 million, and maintained #1 for a third weekend with almost 20 million. Take that twilight. It’s ging to end its run somewhere between 180-200 million BUT ENOUGH WITH THE ARTICLES ABOUT HOW AMAZING IT IS/. BTW congratz Bolt– youre 40 milion 1 week total s impressive considering how you amde 26 million. another 25 million or this weekend probably. PEACE
I say Twilight will end with around 160 million or below, the film is that bad!
What makes Twilight such a success story is not because it’s going to have the biggest box office tally or most number of weeks at #1 but the fact that a small film Paramount passed on and showbiz insiders didn’t even know about 4 months ago is making the money it’s making and generating the pandemonium that its generating. None of the fans ever thought that it would beat Harry Potter, just that it would be successful in its own right. I still think it’s worth all the EW coverage its gotten, similar to what the mag has given Iron Man when it became one of the biggest surprise hits of the year. Cmon, if EW can put Lauren Conrad of The Hills in the cover, any Twilight tidbit would still be better than that.
to those below me, if u buy one quick pick lotto ticket and win 100 million, it’s much more impressive then buying 5,000 lotto tickets to win 100,000 dollars
i.e. twilight only cost 37 mil to make, and is already at about 80 mil in domestic gross. to me that is more impressive than a movie budgeted at over a 100 mil making a little more than it cost to make it.
it’s like when the giants beat the patriots in the super bowl. It was the underdog, it didn’t have the stars new england had, it wasn’t “supposed” to win.
that is what makes twilight such an intruiging story
Four Christmases? Really? It looks awful!!
We saw “Australia” Thanksgiving Day. It was a terrific movie. The critics don’t get it because it’s unabashedly schmaltzy and unashamedly over the top. While the movie could’ve ended about 2/3rds of the way in, they gave us another story to add another hour to the film. Some people would question that, but to me it just meant we got our money’s worth. Check your unbelief at the door and go see this gorgeous movie.
Hey you know what Twilight is not only famous there in USA! Outside… here in Asia, there are lots of Twilight followers! I just finished watching it in the big screen for the second time and i tell you all cinemas are always full. And the books are sold out in some parts here. Believe it or not, if the box office numbers wane there, well, the international cinematic sales are not yet over.
I believe that people could relate very well to Four Christmases, that they might have been going through a little of that dysfunction at their own Thanksgiving gatherings or (even last Christmas)this past Thursday. They could see themselves in that film, could easily relate to it and that’s why it perform so strongly at the box office. That movie’s gotten bad reviews left and right, but moviegoers don’t care.
The christmas film has spent a fortune in advertising. I bet on paper its not doign so well.
Nullah, Mrs. Boss, the Drover and “King George” the lithe, elder aboriginal medicine man watching over his daughters who ride their own magic across the land — if you don’t see the movie, Australia, you will miss these characters in iconic movie-making upgraded to 21st century technology visually akin to the Lord of the Rings franchise.
This is a movie experience that makes you happy to be living in this time and place — now if we can just evolve out of wanting to kill beautiful creatures to eat them.
So what if Australia is a bit long (more for your money) and multi-plexes don’t provide for intermission. Skip the big Coke, or take a quick pit stop after the visually stunning stampede scene.
Don’t miss seeing this amazing movie just because the lay and professional critics are jealous, grumpy, whatever makes them so negative. Uplift your soul for a change, and let your spirit soar.
I completely agree with those saying EW has become Twilight’s personal PR office. Please, stop hyping this movie! It wasn’t that good, and it really isn’t the cultural phenomenon that everyone seems to be acting like it is. It obviously has its followers, but I think the base just seems larger because those followers are a little too obsessed at times.
Four Christmases looks awful. Reese Witherspoon is going into Halle Berry territory..winning an Oscar and then making stupid non watchable movies. I hope Twilight overtakes this dumb movie. Twilight is a wonderful movie that has everything in it…love, action, drama.
Four christmas’s was a good escape comedy it not oscar material but BOLT – that was a great movie
I like how people such as Brian continue to rag on Four Christmases because “it looks stupid”. How about you actually see it before making uninformed comments about where an actor or actresses career is headed.
I agree–Twilight was just so so. If it pulls in more than $150 mil I’ll be shocked (and a little appalled). Not that Four Christmases seems that much more promising. Guess I’m putting all my holiday eggs in Benjamin Button’s basket.
I saw AUSTRALIA opening w/e and thought it was great! If you are a fan of Hugh Jackman and/or Nicole Kidman, it’s a must see. It needs to be seen on the big screen to be truly appreciated. We go to the movies to be transported to another time and place for a couple of hrs. Go to AUSTRALIA!
Maybe EW didn’t want to jinx Twilight after the opening weekend box office explosion – my new EW has Meryl Streep on the cover instead of Twilight. Or someone in the printing department heard all of the complaints.
I understand why everyone thinks Twilight is a success cause of its low budget. Obviously the profit margin will be huge. That being said, the low budget is nothing to brag about because it looks low budget. I left wondering what they had spent 37 million on and know many people (fans included) who were turned off that they didnt care enough to make the few special effects really shine. It looks cheap and hokey-Stephanie Myers herself has commented that she was appalled at the sparkle effect. The studio knew it would be a success no matter what and took advantage of the fans by spending as little as possible to boost their revenue. In EW’s own article they admit they wont spend anymore on the next sequel. Twilight is a poorly made film, plain and simple, and judgin by its slowing box office I say itll finish around 150million-well below the expectations posted last week
–Just a note: Twilight’s fan base is actually pretty large and growing. The movie was so-so, in my opinion, and I’m not a fan of the series–but I work in a large bookstore, and the series have been constant bestsellers since the 4th one came out. It’s not just the obsessed fans buying them!
Since the movie came out, the interest has only grown. I’m not surprised at all that it’s making money or that they greenlit New Moon. EW’s just reporting on the phenomenon.
If you have a subscription, you got Meryle Streep on the cover- the newstand issue has Robert Pattison.
I took your advice Carrie B. and saw Four Christmases. I want my money back. It was dumb. The preview showed all the funny parts. Have you seen it Carrie B. ???
A group of us saw it last night and haven’t laughed that hard since Wedding Crashers.
I’m reading all the other Scrooge comments out there and seriously, if you don’t have a sense of humor then don’t go see a COMEDY! It was awesome and we will probably take more friends tonight.
Merry Xmas
i thought the rabid fanbase of Twighlighters would keep that movie at #1 for the next 3-5 weeks…what happened? where’d all the love go? where’d all the tweens go? how could it fall 60%???
Twilight hasn’t even opened in Australia, England, Germany, and many other overseas markets, where they have a huge and rabid fan base. Those people are shrieking to see this movie. On the opening weekends over there, they will take in another 70-80 million. They did very well with the budget they had. This book was no big deal when they began filming, so they couldn’t have a big budget. No, it wasn’t Gone With The Wind, but it was entertaining, and stuck to the story line quite well, and Stephanie Meyer is quite happy with the movie. Just try competeing with people’s imagination sometime, when trying to recreate something as subjective as a “sparkling vampire”…yeah, good luck with that!I enjoyed they movie, and have seen it multiple times. None of my favorite scenes have special effects… love the kiss, love the conversation in the restaurant. The plot moved quickly, but I think it kind of had to..or it would have to have been a 6 hour movie.
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