Box Office Report- TWILIGHT Goes Out On Top, SKYFALL Breaks Bond Record, LINCOLN Falls Short

We’re coming off one of the busiest box office weekends of the year. It was the beginning of the end for TWILIGHT with the premier of TWILIGHT: BREAKING DOWN PART 2 (Which believe it or not had the 2nd best domestic opening and glowed overseas to the franchise’s best global opening.) In the States, BREAKING DAWN PART 2 took in $141 million, and audiences overseas brought in a massive $200 million. TWILIGHT: NEW MOON had a better domestic opening of $142 million which remains the best opening of the series. While not the best start in the series, TWILIGHT gave the 4th best opening weekend of 2012, the only better ones were THE HUNGER GAMES, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and THE AVENGERS.

The newest edition of James Bond in SKYFALL, took second with another $41 million domestically which led it to $669 million world wide. The $669 million is the best in the series by far. The $669 million from SKYFALL has led Sony Pictures to a $4 billion dollar year which is highest in Sony’s history. It’s previous best was $3.6 billion in 2009. Helping along the way for Sony Pictures were THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, MEN IN BLACK 3 and HOTEL TRANSLYVANIA.  Sony has just one more movie of 2012 which is Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama Bin Laden drama ZERO DARK THIRTY.

Coming in third was Stephen Spielberg’s LINCOLN which expanded to most of America and only took in $21 million on a $65 budget. This is lower then expected but considering TWILIGHT, and SKYFALL are still bringing in the dough, some who may have made there way to see the very different LINCOLN, may have stayed home until next week. The other new additions to select theaters this week were the oscar buzzed drama THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, which took in $458,000 in 16 theaters and the remake of the classic Russian love story ANNA KARENINA, which took in $316,000 in 13 theaters. SILVER LININGS features award winning performances from Bradly Cooper, Robert Deniro and Jennifer Lawrence. While ANNA KARENINA, stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, and also directed by Joe Wright (ATONEMENT).

Topping off the top 5 are Disney’s Animated video game comedy WRECK IT RALPH which took in $18 million bringing the grand total to $121 million and  Denzel Washington’s pilot drama FLIGHT with another $8 million, bringing it’s grand total to $61 million dollars. Ben Affleck’s oscar buzzed ARGO fell out of the top 5 for the first time since it’s opening six weeks ago. ARGO brought in $4 million adding to it’s $91 million take. He is $1 million shy of his best box office performance as a director, after THE TOWN took in $92 million in 2010.

Thanks to a busy holiday week, Wednesday turns into Friday with RED DAWN, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, and LIFE OF PI all hitting theaters Wednesday and HITCHCOCK is set to start in select theaters this week as well.