You can't keep a good man -- or James Bond blockbuster -- down. Sony's "Skyfall" is leading the weekend box office chase in its fifth week of release, after taking in $3.1 million Friday.
The 23rd 007 film is on pace to win the weekend with $11 million. It debuted at No. 1 over the Nov. 9-11 weekend when it took in $88 million, and has run second to "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" for the past three weeks. It's taken in $253 million in North America, $875 million worldwide.
DreamWorks Animation's 3D kids film "Rise of the Guardians" is running second after bringing in $2.2 million from 3,639 theaters Friday, just a 23 percent drop from last week. With family business expected to pick up on Saturday and Sunday, the final DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by Paramount is on track for $10.2 million over the three days.
Also read: Quentin Tarantino: If You Think 'Django Unchained' is Violent, Try Slavery
Three-time defending champ "Breaking Dawn 2" and "Lincoln" were in a battle for third. Summit Entertainment's "Twilight" franchise finale took in $2.8 million Friday, raising its overall U.S. gross to $268 million. DreamWorks "Lincoln," distributed by Disney, brought in $2.5 from 2,014 locations Friday. Both films should come in between $8.5 million and $9 million for the weekend.
Fox's "Life of Pi" is on pace for an $8.2 million weekend in its third week of release after taking in $2.2 million from 2,946 screens on Friday.
The weekend's only wide opener -- FilmDistrict's "Playing for Keeps" -- took in $2.1million from 2,837 locations Friday. The romantic comedy, starring Gerard Butler, is looking at a very disappointing $6 million weekend.
Maybe Butler can commiserate with Brad Pitt. His "Killing Them Softly" took in just $881,000 from 2,424 locations Friday and will wind up under $3 million in its second weekend. It debuted to just $7 million last week.
The Weinstein Company's Oscar contender "Silver Linings Playbook" took in $642,000 from 371 screens Friday and is looking at $2.3 million for the weekend.
Also read: 'Playing for Keeps' Gets Some Really Rotten Tomatoes
The major studios steered clear of the weekend in anticipation of the Warner Bros.' Dec. 14 rollout of "The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey," the first installment in Peter Jackson's latest Middle Earth epic. As a result, it's a slow weekend at the box office, but it is still tracking about 15 percent ahead of last year, when "New Year's Day" won with it $13 million.
Earlier ...
It is telling that "Rise of the Guardians," the kids' holiday film that is off to such a bad start that DreamWorks Animation is looking at a $50 million write-down, has a good shot at winding up No. 1 at the weekend box office. And that's in its third week.
The box office has a severe case of pre-"Hobbit"-itis. Warner Bros. will roll out the first installment of Peter Jackson's latest Middle Earth epic on Dec. 14 and rival studios have pretty much run for cover.
The only film opening wide this week is the PG-13 romantic comedy "Playing for Keeps," FilmDistrict's tale of a former star athlete (Gerard Butler) coming to grips with real life as a kids soccer coach, and it won't finish among the leaders.
The top spot looks to be a toss-up between "Guardians" and Sony's "Skyfall" and DreamWorks and Disney's "Lincoln," both of which are in their fifth week of release. Three-time champ "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" could also figure in, and "Life of Pi" shouldn't be far behind. Analysts say that around $10 million -- or roughly $120 million less than what "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is expected to bring in over its first weekend -- should be enough to win the weekend.
Also read: Hollywood Loves the 'R,' but the Big Money's Rated PG-13
The 3D "Guardians" -- now in its third weekend -- has taken in $50 million since its release the day before Thanksgiving. Its holiday themes should keep it in theaters through the end of the year, but it hasn't had the sort of start DreamWorks Animation and Paramount were hoping for from the CG-animated movie, which cost $145 million to make. It's done better overseas, with $57 million so far.
"Playing for Keeps" has a big-name cast, with Jessica Biel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Judy Greer, Uma Thurman and Dennis Quaid co-starring. Gabriele Muccino ("The Pursuit of Happiness") directs. Debuting on 2,837 screens, it is expected to do around $6 million.
It has been a tough year for Butler who toplined the surf film "Chasing Mavericks" earlier this month, which opened to a very disappointing $2.2 million.
Open Road Films is expanding its cop drama "End of Watch" from less than 100 theaters to around 1,200 locations this weekend.
Also read: Bret Easton Ellis: Kathryn Bigelow 'Really Overrated' Because She's 'a Very Hot Woman'
On the specialty front, this could be an important week for "Silver Linings Playbook," now going into its fourth weekend. The Weinstein Company's Oscar hopeful that got a boost this week when the New York Film Critics made Bradley Cooper their surprise choice for Best Actor.
It's coming off a strong hold last weekend -- just a 24 percent drop from Thanksgiving weekend -- and could be building some momentum. It will be on 371 screens again.
Focus Features will debut "Hyde Park on Hudson," the comedy-drama directed by Roger Michell ("Morning Glory") and starring Bill Murray and Laura Linney as President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his distant cousin Margaret Suckley, with whom he had an intimate relationship.
"Hyde Park on Hudson" premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and also played at the Toronto International Film Festival. The reviews have been mixed, and the film has just a 42 percent positive rating on Movie Review Intelligence. It's rated R and will be on four screens. Focus plans to go wide with the film in January.
"Heleno," a biography of the tragic life of one of Brazil's greatest soccer players, Heleno de Freitas, will debut on on a single screens in New York and in Los Angeles and two in Miami for Screen Media.
Rodrigo Santoro ("What To Expect When You're Expecting") stars in the film, directed by Jose Enrique Fonseca from a screenplay by Fernando Castets. Rated R, the film has drawn mainly favorable reviews, with a 71 percent positive rating at Movie Review Intelligence.
The Weinstein Co.'s Radius label is rolling out director Stephen Frears' ("Tamara Drewe") R-rated comedy "Lay the Favorite" on 40 screens. Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vince Vaughn star in the tale of a young woman's journey into the world of sports gambling. Rebecca Hall, Laura Prepon and Corbin Bernsen co-star.
