By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of November 21 – 23, 2008

Summit Entertainment’s “Twilight” stormed to the top of the North American box office this weekend with a whopping $70 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Catherine Hardwicke’s adaptation of the popular Stephenie Meyer novel started its path to box office glory early this weekend when it collected $7 million from midnight screenings. The vampire romance ended up beating studio expectations, prompting Summit to quickly green-light a sequel.

At No. 2, Marc Forster’s “Quantum of Solace” delivered another strong result, collecting $27.4 million to reach a total haul of $109.4 million after only two weeks in release. The 22nd official James Bond adventure is now $58 million away from topping the cumulative gross of its predecessor, “Casino Royale.”

Debuting in third place with $27 million was Walt Disney’s latest animated family film “Bolt,” which follows the story of a dog who believes he has superpowers until he realizes he’s just the star of a popular TV show. The movie’s voice cast includes John Travolta and Miley Cyrus.

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By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of November 14 – 16, 2008

“Quantum of Solace” crushed its competition at the North American box office this weekend with a whopping $70.4 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Marc Forster’s 22nd official James Bond adventure scored the best opening for a Bond movie ever, beating the opening weekend gross of predecessor “Casino Royale” by $29.6 million. That currently makes “Solace” the worldwide box office leader.

Last week’s winner “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” slipped to No. 2, earning an impressive $36.1 million to reach a domestic total of $118 million after only two weeks in release. The sequel to the 2005 hit features the voices of Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer.

At No. 3, David Wain’s comedy “Role Models” picked up another $11.7 million, lifting its total haul to $38.1 million after a solid two-week run. Starring Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd, this R-rated comedy follows two co-workers who join a program that encourages adults to spend some time with lonely kids.

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By Franck Tabouring
Weekend of October 31 – November 2, 2008

Walt Disney’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” clung to the No. 1 spot at the North American box office this weekend with $15 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Kenny Ortega’s third installment in the popular series dropped a few spots on Friday but regained momentum Saturday and Sunday to remain at the top of the chart, lifting its domestic total to $61.7 million after two weeks in theaters.

Debuting in second place with $10.6 million was Kevin Smith’s “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” The comedy starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks focuses on two life-long friends who decide to make a porno in order to get rid of their increasing debt.

Following closely at No. 3 was David Hackl’s “Saw V,” which took home $10.1 million and brought its total gross to $45.8 million. The fifth installment in the “Saw” series is currently $17.4 million away from beating its predecessor, “Saw IV.”

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