'Skyfall' almost returns to #1 spot at US box-office

02-Dec-2012 • Skyfall

Lazy entertainment bloggers are celebrating that "Twilight" has kept its #1 spot at the US box-office for a third week. But that's not the real story. "Hung on to..." would be a better description of its business this week.

Delving below the shallow surface of the top 10 weekend figures, what those stories do not take in to account is that "Skyfall" has been on release for a week longer than "Twilight", so the fact that 007 kept pace and only missed the #1 spot by a meager $400,000 speaks more of James Bond's long term staying power and the steep drop-off in audiences for the vampire franchise. Comparatively, "Skyfall" scooped $35.5m in its third weekend, more than double "Twilight" managed in its equivalent week.

Weekend Box-Office (November 30th)
1. $17,410,000 - Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2
2. $17,000,000 - Skyfall
3. $13,509,000 - Lincoln

"Skyfall" only dropped 60 engagements in its fourth weekend, down to 3,463 screens. "Twilight" dropped 62 to 4,008.

The week after Thanksgiving is traditionally a dumping ground for new releases deemed to have poor chances at the box-office, and 2012 was no exception.

Brad Pitt's new R-rate crime thriller "Killing Them Softly" slumped in at #7 with just $7m in its opening weekend. Horror movie "The Collection" flopped worse with just $3.4m.

"Skyfall"s total in the USA and Canada now stands at an astounding $246m, and this week become the #1 spy movie in domestic box-office history (overtaking "The Bourne Ultimatum"s $227m).

Both "Skyfall" and "Twilight" might have another week of solid business coming up, as there are few new releases which will threaten their take.

Opening next week are:
"Playing for Keeps" - Ensemble comedy (positive reviews)
"Hyde Park on Hudson" - Historical dramedy with Bill Murray playing Franklin Roosevelt (limited release)
"Deadfall" - Action thriller with Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde (poor reviews)
"Lay the Favorite" - Ensemble comedy (terrible reviews)