Box Office Records, Friday Box Office | featured news

"Looper" and musical comedy "Pitch Perfect" also score strong starts; education drama "Won't Back Down" flunks... According to early estimates, Hotel Transylvania -- boasting a voice cast led by Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Selena Gomez -- grossed an estimated $11 million on Friday for a $38 million to $40 million weekend. The 3D toon earned an A- CinemaScore overall, and an A from females and kids under the age of 18.

The record-smashing tentpole now has a shot at debuting to $170 million, the biggest opening of all time in North America; the pic has earned $334.3 million internationally for a whopping global total of $414.8 million.

The feast is on: "The Hunger Games" has taken in $68.25 million domestically in its first day, a record for a non-sequel. The Friday total for Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games" was the fifth-best opening day ever and puts the movie on track for the best debut weekend ever in March. That record is held by "Alice in Wonderland" with $116.1 million.

The third installment in the blockbuster "Toy Story" franchise roared out of the gate, collecting an estimated $41 million at the North American boxoffice on Friday.

"Avatar" grossed yet another strong $30 million over the weekend for a new domestic total of $594.4 million. That stunningly puts James Cameron's blockbuster only days away from passing "Titanic's" U.S. mark of $600 million. "Edge of Darkness" found a solid $17.1 million and "When in Rome" $`12.1 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.

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.