Weekend Box Office: 'Breaking Dawn' Bests 'Muppets' for Threepeat Victory

Don't underestimate vampires of the underworld and werewolves once they go facing various frogs, pigs, and bears. That's this weekend's box office lesson. Without any new wide-release movies in theaters, this area office competition was said to be a carefully fought against fight between holdovers ''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning Part 1' and ''The Muppets,' however it did not finish close up whatsoever. 'Breaking Dawn' easily defended its crown for any third straight week at the very top, while 'The Muppets' dropped faster than likely to a distant second place. After last weekend's repeat victory, 'Breaking Dawn' was likely to stick to the path of past years' Thanksgiving blockbusters (including previous 'Twilight' installment 'New Moon' 2 yrs ago) and drop about 65 % a few days ago, which may have place it around $14.5 million. However it ended up just 59 percent, to have an believed weekend take of $16.9 million. In 17 days, the supernatural romance follow up has gained $247.3 million in The United States and much more overseas, for any worldwide total of $532.3 million. For 'The Muppets,' a 50 % drop from last weekend's debut might have meant about $14.5 million along with a neck-and-neck fight using the 'Twilight' neck-biters. Some commentators were even predicting a Muppet victory a few days ago, because of the film's passionate reviews and word-of-mouth. The movie fell a complete 62 percent, for an believed $11.two million, nearly $six million below 'Breaking Beginning.' Why the steeper than expected drop? Maybe more kids than expected visited see 'Hugo,' which broadened its release by about 50 % a few days ago, in order to 'Arthur Christmas,' the only periodic-designed holiday film presently in wide release. Still, 'Muppets' continued to be the very best option for family viewing, and it is take to date involves $56.5 million over 12 days. 'Hugo's second-week decline would be a modest 33 percent, because it added 563 more screens, for any total of just one,840. Its believed take of $7.six million was great for another-place finish. It were built with a per-screen average of $4,144, the biggest of the current family films. ('The Muppets' gained $3,256 per venue.) That indicates strong word-of-mouth, which, together with rapturous reviews, ought to keep the Martin Scorsese three dimensional adventure afloat with the relaxation from the holidays. In 12 days, 'Hugo' has gained $25.two million. 'Arthur Christmas' also organized well, sliding just 39 percent for an believed $7.4 million. That arrived the cartoon in 4th place, though its take is close enough to 'Hugo's that they're going to find their ranks corrected when final amounts are launched on Monday. Its two-week total is slightly in front of 'Hugo' at $25.3 million. 'Happy Ft Two' has got the most tepid reviews and word-of-mouth among current family releases, however it held onto a place within the 5 best having a take believed at $6. million. That's lower 55 percent from a week ago, quite normal for any cartoon in the third week of release, especially because of the heavy competition in the household marketplace. In three days, the penguin pic has danced served by $51.8 million. Elsewhere around the chart, 'The Descendants,' like fellow honours-season hopeful 'Hugo,' broadened its run by about 50 % (to 574 screens) and was compensated having a box office boost. It rose from tenth spot to seventh and gained another believed $5.two million, for any three-week total of $18.a million. And also the much-buzzed-about 'Shame' opened up on 10 screens and did perfectly, generating $36,100 per screen for any total of $361,000, great for a 16th-place debut. That per-screen average indicates more powerful-than-usual commercial appeal with this NC-17 movie if the weekend's amounts can persuade enough additional theater proprietors to book the film, it features a pretty good possibility of smashing the $5 million ceiling that no NC-17-ranked film has cracked since 2004. Honours interest for Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan's performances within the sex-addiction drama will not hurt. Because the year winds lower, box office continues to be about 3.2 percent behind where it had been at this time this year. The 2011 believed grosses up to now are $9.4 billion, in comparison to $9.7 billion last year. 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning Part 1' - Trailer No. 2 The entire top ten: 1. 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning Part 1,' $16.9 million (4,046 screens), $247.3 million total 2. 'The Muppets,' $11.two million (3,440), $56.a million 3. 'Hugo,' $7.six million (1,840) $25.two million 4. 'Arthur Christmas,' $7.4 million (3,376), $25.3million 5. 'Happy Ft Two,' $6. million (3,536), $51.8 million 6. 'Jack and Jill,' $5.5 million (3,049), $64.3 million 7. 'The Descendants,' $5.two million (574), $18.a million 8. 'Immortals,' $4,4 million (2,627), $75.six million 9. 'Tower Heist,' $4.a million (2.404), $70.8 million 10. 'Puss in Boots,' $3.a million (2,750), $139.5 million [Photos: Summit ('Breaking Dawn'), Disney ('The Muppets'), Fox Searchlight ('Shame')] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook Follow Gary Susman on Twitter: @garysusman