Weekend box office: ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ wrecks it

Disney’s homage to old school video games ruled the North American box office this weekend, earning more than four times the amount of last weekend’s #1 film. In per screen averages, Paramount’s “Flight” also soared, setting the high expectations for the upcoming rollout of some of the year's most anticipated films.

“Wreck-It Ralph” won rave reviews from many critics and a High Score at the box office with $49.1M in ticket sales (at 3,752 theaters). The #2 film, “Flight,” with Denzel Washington, appealed to older audiences, earning $25M (at only 1,884 theaters). In its fourth week, the highly regarded “Argo” moved to #3, adding $10.2M (at 2,774 theaters) to its now $75.8 domestic gross while Universal’s martial arts epic, “The Man with the Iron Fists,” with Russell Crowe, performed lower than expected. The #4 film brought in only $8.2M (at 1,868 theaters). In its fifth week, “Taken 2” managed to inch its way back up  to the top half of the list, earning $6M (at 2,639 theaters) for a domestic total of $125.6M.

The prestigious “Cloud Atlas” fell to #6 in its second week, bringing in only $5.2M (at 2,013 theaters) despite its star power, while “Hotel Transylvania” slipped to #7 in its first weekend after Halloween, adding $4.5M (at 2,922 theaters) for a domestic gross of $137.5M. Fans of the #8 film, “Paranormal Activity 4” also dropped off, with $4.3M (at 3,006 theaters) while “Here Comes the Boom,” at #9, earned $3.6M (at 2,314 theaters). Finally, at #10, “Silent Hill: Revelation 3D” only managed to scare up $3.3M in ticket sales (at 2,933 theaters).

Two prominent men are getting ready to make their mark on next weekend’s box office. Bond, James Bond in “Skyfall,” which is already approaching a record-setting $300M in international markets, and Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” The much anticipated film starring Daniel Day-Lewis as our country's 16th President will open in limited release, but may be just the ticket for disgruntled voters after this week’s hard-fought election.