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 November 7 – 9, 2008

DreamWorks Animation’s “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” dominated the North American box office this weekend with a stunning $63.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath’s sequel to the 2005 hit family flick raced to the top spot early on, beating its predecessor’s opening weekend gross by $16.3 million. In the film New York zoo animals Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman try to fly back home but accidentally end up somewhere in Africa.

Debuting in second place with a surprising $19.2 million was David Wain’s R-Rated comedy “Role Models.” Starring Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott, the film focuses on two co-workers who are ordered to spend some quality time with two lonely kids.

At No. 3, Disney’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” collected another $9.2 million, lifting its domestic total to $75.7 million after three weeks in release. Following closely at No. 4 was Clint Eastwood’s "Changeling,” which reaches a total haul of $20.5 million after this weekend’s earnings of $7.2 million.

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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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David Hackl’s “Saw V” easily outperformed Disney’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” at the North American box office this Friday with $3.1 million in ticket sales.

The fifth installment in the popular "Saw" series dominated all new releases on Halloween, lifting its cumulative gross to $38.8 million after only one week in release.

Following at No. 2 was Clint Eastwood’s acclaimed drama “Changeling,” which took home $2.3 million. The film starring Angelina Jolie opened in limited release last week and expanded into 1,850 sites this weekend.

Debuting in third place with $2.2 million was Kevin Smith’s comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” In the R-rated film, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks decide to make a porno in order to get rid of their growing debt.

Surprisingly, Freestyle Releasing’s horror flick “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” finished fourth with $1.7 million. Following closely at No. 5 was “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” earning $1.7 million and bringing its domestic total to $22.1 million.

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