Happy New Year!

It was a happy New Year's weekend indeed at the box office. Even though last week's holiday didn't seem to slow down the cinema crowds (turn outs were better than last year's holiday weekend), nearly every single major release out did better over the New Year's weekend than it did over the Christmas weekend. That's not unusual, but this year was a stronger showing than New Years past.

The only top ten title to to take a hit was Rocky Balboa, which dropped by 11%, slipping from third to sixth place. Meanwhile Dreamgirls expanded into 850 theaters snapping third place from Balboa, singing a happy song to the tune of $16,650 per theater, the best of the weekend's top ten.

Black Christmas wore out its namesake holiday welcome. Opening Christmas day it failed to make any headway and in this, its first official weekend, couldn't even hit the top ten despite showing in an ample 1500+ theaters.

There were no true new wide releases this weekend, but a handful of big players opened small. Guillermo Del Toro's mulit-genre freak show Pan's Labyrinth trumped all with $33,470 per theater on 17 screens. Children of Men opened in 16 theaters with $31,750 apiece and Notes on a Scandal scraped up $18,863 on each of its 22 screens. Children of Men expands next weekend while the others await a decision on their fates for wide release.

Children of Men will be joined by a very sloshy group of mediocre looking flicks next weekend. The latest in the "teacher-inspires-underprivileged-students" train, Freedom Writers, Cedric the Entertainer's comedy Code Name:The Cleaner, and yet another shattered fairy-tale animated feature Happily N'Ever After all head to theaters. Given that list I wouldn't be surprised if Night At The Museum manages a third weekend at number one.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN New Year Weekend 2006/2007 (3-Day Totals)

LW = Last Week   WR = Weeks Released THTRS = Number of Screens * Denotes new release. Click on title to read CB Review

1. Night at the Museum $36,700,000   -   Total: $115,755,000 LW: 1    WR: 2    THTRS: 3768

2. The Pursuit of Happyness $19,300,000   -   Total: $98,346,000 LW: 2    WR: 3    THTRS: 2870

3. Dreamgirls $14,184,000   -   Total: $37,148,000 LW: 25    WR: 4    THTRS: 852

4. Charlotte's Web (2006) $11,703,000   -   Total: $52,561,000 LW: 5    WR: 3    THTRS: 3745

5. The Good Shepherd $10,979,000   -   Total: $35,045,000 LW: 4    WR: 2    THTRS: 2218

6. Rocky Balboa $10,790,000   -   Total: $48,262,000 LW: 3    WR: 2    THTRS: 3019

7. Eragon $8,325,000   -   Total: $56,539,000 LW: 6    WR: 3    THTRS: 2985

8. We Are Marshall $8,080,000   -   Total: $25,118,000 LW: 7    WR: 2    THTRS: 2606

9. Happy Feet $7,650,000   -   Total: $175,967,000 LW: 9    WR: 7    THTRS: 2565

10. The Holiday $6,780,000   -   Total: $50,011,000 LW: 10    WR: 4    THTRS: 2698

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN New Year Weekend 2006/2007 (4-Day Totals)

LW = Last Week   WR = Weeks Released THTRS = Number of Screens * Denotes new release. Click on title to read CB Review

1. Night at the Museum $46,700,000   -   Total: $125,755,000 LW: 1    WR: 2    THTRS: 3768

2. The Pursuit of Happyness $24,700,000   -   Total: $103,746,000 LW: 2    WR: 3    THTRS: 2870

3. Dreamgirls $18,672,000   -   Total: $41,637,000 LW: 25    WR: 5    THTRS: 852

4. Charlotte's Web (2006) $15,050,000   -   Total: $55,908,000 LW: 5    WR: 3    THTRS: 3745

5. The Good Shepherd $14,251,000   -   Total: $38,317,000 LW: 4    WR: 2    THTRS: 2218

6. Rocky Balboa $13,660,000   -   Total: $51,132,000 LW: 3    WR: 2    THTRS: 3019

7. Eragon $10,575,000   -   Total: $58,789,000 LW: 6    WR: 3    THTRS: 2985

8. We Are Marshall $10,225,000   -   Total: $27,263,000 LW: 7    WR: 2    THTRS: 2606

9. Happy Feet $9,700,000   -   Total: $178,017,000 LW: 9    WR: 7    THTRS: 2565

10. The Holiday $8,500,000   -   Total: $51,811,000 LW: 10    WR: 4    THTRS: 2698