HARRY BEATS HAIRY AT HOLIDAY BOX OFFICE

As expected, Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 remained magical at the box office over the Thanksgiving holiday, earning $50.3 million over the weekend and $76.3 million from Wednesday, according to studio estimates. But Disney’s animated musical Tangled, based on the Rapunzel fairy tale, proved to be a worthy competitor as it raked in $49.1 million over the weekend and $69 million over the 5-day holiday. The weekend results were particularly striking inasmuch as Tangled exceeded analysts’ expectations and came close to beating the wizard at his own game. Indeed on a per-theater basis, Tangled was indeed the winner, averaging $14,395 to Harry’s $12,436. (It also had 3D premium pricing going for it.) In an interview with the Associated Press, Disney distribution chief Chuck Viane said, “Potter is such a huge hit. To be that close, it was amazing.” Two other newcomers produced mediocre results. Sony’s Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, earned $11.8 million for the weekend, with a five-day total of $17.2 million. Twentieth Century Fox’s Love and Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway claimed a three-day total of $9.9 million and a five-day of $14 million. A fourth newbie, Faster, starring Dwayne Johnson, appeared to be the latest misfire for CBS Films after opening with $8.7 million for the weekend and $12.2 million for the holiday. But the most impressive result was flaunted by The Weinstein Co.’s The King’s Speech, which opened in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles with $349,791, or a whopping $87,448 per theater. Daily Variety said it was the highest per-theater average for any movie released this year.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, $50.3 million; 2. Tangled, $49.1 million; 3. Megamind, $12.9 million; 4. Burlesque, $11.8 million; 5. Unstoppable, $11.75 million; 6. Love & Other Drugs, $9.9 million; 7. Faster, $8.7 million; 8. Due Date, $7.3 million; 9. The Next Three Days, $4.8 million; 10. Morning Glory, $4 million.

UPDATE:
Final Figures for Top Five Films

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, $49,087,101
2. Tangled, $48,767,052
3. Megamind, $12,575,778
4. Burlesque, $11,947,744
5. Unstoppable, $11,432,903