Box Office Records | featured news

In Hollywood's biggest-ever box-office weekend, "Avatar" held the top spot while earning only slightly less during its second week of release. According to studio estimates Sunday, James Cameron's 3-D epic earned $75 million for 20th Century Fox, only a 3 percent drop from its opening weekend total of $77.4 million. "Sherlock Holmes" followed close behind with $65.4 million, including a record Christmas Day debut of $24.9 million. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" took in $50.2 million.

Warner Bros.' period action pic "Sherlock Holmes" raked in $24.9 million yesterday, notching the best Christmas day opening ever at the domestic box office. Undeterred by the onslaught of another tentpole in the marketplace, Fox’s "Avatar" dipped 12%, taking $23.5 million off 3,456.

Hollywood's record year climbs higher as domestic box office tops $10 billion for first time

Film boxoffices were poised on Wednesday to eclipse 2007's record $9.68 billion in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales with Hollywood eyeing more than $10 billion this year as audiences flocked to theaters during the recession.

Studio execs should give plenty of thanks to female moviegoers: "Twilight: New Moon" and "The Blind Side" led the best-ever Thanksgiving weekend at the box office by drawing women and families into theaters, while male-centric newcomers "Old Dogs" and "Ninja Assassin" only earned so-so numbers.

Summit Entertainment's sequel "New Moon" has set box office history in breaking all records for midnight runs, grossing a whopping $26.3 million as it unspooled in 3,514 theaters at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Summit Entertainment is now saying it debuted to $72.7 million from 4,024 North American theaters. This shatters both previous All-Time Friday and Single Day records of $67 million set by 2008's The Dark Knight.

The specialty box office roared to life as Lionsgate's "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" opened to $1.8 million from 18 locations for a record-breaking $100,000 per location average.

The concert documentary set a box office record for an October Tuesday.

Harry Potter cast a spell over moviegoers worldwide as the sixth entry in the fantasy franchise set a new opening record of $396.7 million, breaking the former global record held by “Spider-Man 3.”