No surprise here: “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part I” had no problem taking the No. 1 spot at the box office on Friday, kicking off the traditionally slow weekend after Thanksgiving.
With no new wide releases to compete against, “Breaking Dawn” raked in $5.5 million, for a projected weekend total of $16.8 million. The penultimate “Twilight” film’s domestic gross currently stands at $235.9 million.
Likewise, “The Muppets” held onto the second slot with $2.8 million. The critically acclaimed family film will likely draw around $12 million for the three-day period.
Martin Scorsese’s 3D film “Hugo” added another 500 screens to its count, and battled it out with Aardman’s “Arthur Christmas” for the bronze. The former earned $2 million, while the latter pulled in $1.7 million. Both films are expected to earn around $7 million for the weekend.
Other smaller releases fared well, including the NC-17 “Shame.” Despite its limiting rating, the drama starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, intrigued enough people to earn an impressive $110, 476 from just ten screens. It opens wider in the coming weeks.
Playing on a mere six screens Friday night, silent film “The Artist” pulled in a remarkable $55,574.
Look for final weekend estimates tomorrow on HitFix.