2009 Holiday Box-office Take Is Highest In Recent History

LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts) - It was a Christmas to remember for movie studios as the all-time weekend box office record fell behind the might of James Cameron's Avatar, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes and the encore performance of those high-pitched Chipmunks based on early estimates.

Hollywood celebrated a green Christmas this year, as the two Christmas Day openers and a high-velocity holdover sent theatrical revenues skyrocketing 37% from last year to a record $264 million, according to studio estimates.
The previous record of $261 million for a three-day take - set in July 2008 when "The Dark Knight" debuted - even when accounting for ticket price inflation.

James Cameron's Avatar took the three-day weekend crown its second week in theaters, racking up $75 million, just 2% less than its opening take. So far, the film

Here are the totals for the weekend's top-grossing pictures in North American theaters:

1. Avatar, $75 million; $212.3 million, second week
2. Sherlock Holmes, $65.4 million, first weekend
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, $50.2 million; $77.1 million, first five days
4. It's Complicated, $22.1 million, first weekend
5. Up in the Air, $11.8 million; $24.5 million, fourth week
6. The Blind Side, $11.7 million; $184.4 million, sixth week
7. The Princess and the Frog, $8.7 million; $63.4 million, fifth week
8. Nine, $5.5 million; $5.9 million, second week
9. Did You Hear About the Morgans?, $5 million; $15.6 million, second week
10. Invictus, $4.4 million; $23.4 million, third week.