Darrow (Naomi Watts) shares a quiet moment with Kong atop the Empire State Building in the movie 'King Kong'. - CONTRIBUTED
LOS ANGELES (AP):
KING KONG and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe battled for the four-day box office crown with the giant ape finally swiping the Christmas holiday prize.
A Sunday night surge gave Universal's King Kong the needed push for the number one spot over the Friday-through-yesterday period with US$31.4 million, edging Buena Vista's Chronicles of Narnia estimated US$30.1 million take.
The box office lead shifted back and forth all last week as new releases cropped up Wednesday, Friday and still more Christmas Day.
"It's a battle of the holiday blockbusters. It was very close for the number one position," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.
"There's only so much room. I think crowded is the fair term to describe the marketplace right now," Universal Pictures vice chairman Marc Shmuger said Monday, noting overall box office was up 20 per cent over the weekend compared to the previous weekend.
"These two movies are energising the business," said Chuck Viane, president Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, adding Narnia is continuing to lure audiences in its third week of release.
"This is a fantastic hold," Viane said. "We're probably looking at breaking the US$200 million barrier by New Year's Eve. I think what you have here is a movie instantly becoming one of those holiday classics."
Sony's Fun With Dick and Jane was third with US$23.5 million.
"It doesn't get much better than having a Jim Carrey movie for the holidays," said Rory Bruer, president of distribution for Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Cheaper By The Dozen 2 was fourth with US$14.8 million and The Family Stone was fifth with US$10.9 million .
Top movies at the North American box office
LOS ANGELES, (Reuters):
The following are the top 10 movies at the North American Christmas holiday box office for the December 23-26 period, led by King Kong, according to studio estimates collected yesterday by Reuters. Final data will be issued today.
1. King Kong $31.4m
2. Chronicles of Narnia $30.1m
3. Fun with Dick and Jane $23.5m
4. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 $14.8m
5. The Family Stone $10.9m
6. Memoirs of a Geisha $10.2m
7. The Ringer $8.4m
8. Rumour Has It $7.5m
9. Wolf Creek $5.9m
10. Harry Potter and $5.7m
the Goblet of Fire
TOTALS TO DATE
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $262.4m
The Chronicles of Narnia $163.5m
King Kong $118.7m
Fun with Dick and Jane $31.1m
The Family Stone $30.1m
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 $20.1m
Memoirs of a Geisha $13.3m
The Ringer $8.4m
Rumour Has It $7.5m
Wolf Creek $5.9m.
