‘New Moon’ clings to top spot with $42.5M; ‘Blind Side’ nearly scores upset with $40.1M

‘New Moon’ keeps top box office spot with $42.5M

LOS ANGELES — Vampires and werewolves continued to howl at the box office with a $42.5 million weekend for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

Summit Entertainment’s “Twilight” sequel remained No. 1 over what proved a record Thanksgiving weekend for Hollywood. But “New Moon” was nearly blind-sided for the top spot by a real-life football drama.

“The Blind Side” had a great second weekend with $40.1 million, coming in at No. 2 just behind “New Moon.” Released by Warner Bros., the inspirational story of Baltimore Ravens tackle Michael Oher stars Sandra Bullock as a woman whose wealthy family takes in the homeless teen and enrolls him in private school.

The two movies propelled Hollywood to record revenues over the five-day Thanksgiving period. Wednesday-to-Sunday receipts came in at an estimated $278 million, according to Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

That surpassed the previous Thanksgiving record of $244.4 million set in 2000, when “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Unbreakable” topped the box office.

New wide releases had so-so results. Disney’s family comedy “Old Dogs,” starring Robin Williams and John Travolta as single guys forced to mind 7-year-old twins one of them never knew he had fathered, came in at No. 4 with $16.8 million for the three-day weekend.

The Warner Bros. action tale “Ninja Assassin” opened at No. 6 with $13.1 million. The movie features Korean pop star Rain and Naomie Harris in a thriller about a hit man on the run from his assassination clan.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” the 20th Century Fox animated comedy with a voice cast led by George Clooney, expanded to nationwide release and pulled in $7 million to finish at No. 9.

While the weekend haul for “New Moon” dropped steeply from the movie’s $142.8 million opening, “The Blind Side” actually went up from its $34.1 million first weekend.

“New Moon” raised its domestic total to $230.7 million after just 10 days. That’s nearly $40 million more than the first movie, last year’s “Twilight,” took in during its entire 20-week run.

The “Twilight” movies star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner in an adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s books about teen heartache among a school girl, a vampire and a werewolf.

“The Blind Side” lifted its 10-day total to $100.3 million and has generated Academy Awards buzz for Bullock.