Dreamgirls has dreamy Christmas Day
From Nicole Sperling

LOS ANGELES—“Night at the Museum” was the No. 1 exhibit at the Christmas box office in North America, earning $42.2 million during the four days beginning Friday, distributor 20th Century Fox said Tuesday. But “Dreamgirls” also was a star performer, with a melodic one-day gross of $8.7 million Monday as it entered its first day of national release, good enough for a No. 7 weekend rank.
Among the crowded field of year-end offerings, the December 20 release “Rocky Balboa” continued its successful underdog saga, pulling in a surprisingly young audience for a third-place finish with $17 million for the four-day period. And the Matt Damon spy drama “The Good Shepherd” enjoyed a solid opening Friday, capturing fourth place with $13.9 million. Another new wide release, “We Are Marshall,” starring Matthew McConaughey, wasn’t as successful. The inspirational sports story earned $8.6 million.
Meanwhile, holdovers from the previous weekend held on well. Incumbent champ “The Pursuit of Happyness” finished in second place, generating an estimated $23.1 million to hit $61.4 million in its sophomore frame. And despite a less-than-stellar debut, “Charlotte’s Web” held strong in its second weekend, picking up $9.6 million for a two-week total of $28.4 million, good for the fifth spot overall.
“Eragon” suffered the steepest fall from the previous weekend — 70% — likely due to competition for the family audience with “Night at the Museum.” The dragon fantasy’s $9.3 million weekend took the total to $39.8 million. The only other new wide release was “Black Christmas,” an R-rated horror film starring Michelle Trachtenberg, which bowed on Christmas Day with just $3.3 million, No. 15 for the weekend.
“Museum,” starring Ben Stiller, was the general-audience picture of the weekend. From director Shawn Levy, the PG film set at New York’s Museum of Natural History scored with both families and adults without children. “It was the all-purpose movie that resonated with all types of audiences,” said Bruce Snyder, Fox’s president of distribution. “Museum” scored an A- rating from exit pollster Cinema Score, with audiences evenly split between men and women. Its Imax runs contributed positively to the weekend’s gross, with the 2-D display earning $2.3 million from 72 giant-screen theatres.