Box Office: 'Inception' swallows 'Schmucks'

It happened! Christopher Nolan's spectacular sci-fi thriller "Inception" defeated all new releases to hang on to the No. 1 spot at the North American box office this weekend, according to estimates.

"Inception" bagged $27.5 million via an average of $7,763 per theater at 3,545 locations. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the film brought its total haul to a superb $193.3 million after a great three-week run.

"Dinner for Schmucks" debuted in second place, earning $23.3 million. The comedy with Paul Rudd and Steve Carell scored an average of $8,004 per theater, but the film is only playing at 2,911 locations.

Meanwhile, new release "Charlie St. Cloud" only made it to No. 6, pulling in $12.1 million. "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" flew to fifth place, generating $12.5 million at 3,705 locations.

At No. 3, Angelina Jolie's "Salt" took home a solid $19.2 million, lifting its total gross to $70.8 million. Following in fourth place was "Despicable Me," which bagged $15.5 million for a $190.3 million cume.

Also, "Toy Story 3" slipped to No. 7 this weekend, reaching $389.6 million after three-day earnings of $5 million. At No. 8, "Grown Ups" collected $4.5 million, reaching a cumulative of $150.7 million.

At the bottom of the top 10, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" dropped to No. 9 with $4.3 million ($51.8 million total), while "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" brought its cume to $288.2 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)