WALT DISNEY - CHRISTMAS TREASURE

It appeared Tuesday that National Treasure: Book of Secrets would wind up with about $65 million for the five-day Christmas holiday. The figure, released by Walt Disney Pictures on Tuesday, was based on actual receipts through Monday and an estimate for Tuesday. However, a wild card for Tuesday was the opening of the latest Aliens vs. Predator movie, which was expected to compete for the same audience that would ordinarily be attracted to Treasure. Final results are due to be announced later today (Wednesday). Warner Bros.' I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, was expected to finish the holiday in second place with about $47.5 million, bringing its 12-day total for $150.8 million. Twentieth Century Fox's Alvin & the Chipmunks was expected to finish in third place. However, the studio declined to issue a five-day estimate, saying that it was impossible to forecast business for Christmas Day. It had taken in $32.8 million from Friday through Monday. Universal estimated that its comedy, Charlie Wilson's War, starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, had earned about $14.75 million, while DreamWorks figured its Sweeney Todd musical would take in $12.75 million. Sony's Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was widely believed to have bombed. The studio said that it had earned just $4.7 million through Monday with little hope for a significant pick-up in receipts on Tuesday.

26/12/2007