“Skyfall†climbed back to No. 1 at North American theaters over the weekend after more than a month in release - an extremely difficult box-office stunt to pull off, even for James Bond. “Skyfall†took in an estimated $11 million between Friday and Sunday, lifting its domestic total to $261.6 million and putting a $1 billion global gross within reach for Sony and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
DreamWorks Animation's “Rise of the Guardians†was a sturdy second in its third weekend, taking in about $10.5 million, for a new total of $61.9 million, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box-office data. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2†(Lionsgate) was third, selling an estimated $9.2 million in tickets, for a four-week total of $268.7 million.
Two Oscar hopefuls rounded out the top five: Steven Spielberg's “Lincoln†(Disney) took in $9.1 million, for a five-week total of $97.3 million, while “Life of Pi†(20th Century Fox) sold $8.3 million in tickets, lifting its three-week total to $60.9 million. The only new wide release of note, “Playing for Keeps†(Film District), fizzled in sixth place, with about $6 million in sales. That performance extended the box-office cold streak for its star, Gerard Butler.
