Movie shows charm

The modern-day fairy tale “Enchanted” was the holiday weekend’s top-grossing movie, as expected. The family comedy “This Christmas” was the weekend’s biggest surprise, ranking a strong second.

Competition was intense, as “Hitman,” “August Rush” and “The Mist” also opened wide and made the top 10.

Among holdovers, “Beowulf” could be headed for a domestic gross of about $100 million during its full run, thanks to continued strength from its 3-D showings. “Bee Movie” and “American Gangster” could each come close to $150 million. Overseas results will be important for the bottom lines on all three big-budget productions.

The awards-season contender “No Country for Old Men” fared well in its first wide expansion, with a per-theater average matching “Enchanted” and slightly below “This Christmas.”

Preliminary results (in millions) in the U.S. and Canada, based on studio projections:

Movie (studio): 1. Enchanted (Walt Disney)

3-day gross (millions): $35.3

Total (millions): $50.0

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 2. This Christmas (Sony)

3-day gross (millions): $18.6

Total (millions): $27.1

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 3. Beowulf (Paramount)

3-day gross (millions): $16.2

Total (millions): $56.4

Weeks: 2

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Movie (studio): 4. Hitman (20th Century Fox)

3-day gross (millions): $13.0

Total (millions): $21.0

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 5. Bee Movie (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount)

3-day gross (millions): $12.0

Total (millions): $112.1

Weeks: 4

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Movie (studio): 6. Fred Claus (Warner Bros.)

3-day gross (millions): $10.7

Total (millions): $53.1

Weeks: 3

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Movie (studio): 7. August Rush (Warner Bros.)

3-day gross (millions): $9.4

Total (millions): $13.3

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 8. American Gangster (Universal)

3-day gross (millions): $9.2

Total (millions): $115.8

Weeks: 4

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Movie (studio): 9. The Mist (Weinstein/MGM)

3-day gross (millions): $9.1

Total (millions): $13.0

Weeks: 1

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Movie (studio): 10. No Country for Old Men (Miramax)

3-day gross (millions): $8.1

Total (millions): $16.6

Weeks: 3

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Industry totals

3-day gross (in millions): $165.0

Change from 2006: +2.2%

Year-to-date gross (in billions): $8.6

Change from 2006: +4.9%

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Note: A movie may be shown on more than one screen at each venue.

Source: Media by Numbers

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Los Angeles Times