Learn about tall here – Company Town: ‘True Grit’ rides tall in the saddle

The 2010 holidays brought big-budget action movies, 3-D family adventures and star-driven comedies, but the season’s only undisputed hit is an old-fashioned, guns-blazing western. Studios were counting on sizable ticket sales for the array of movies that opened in early to mid-December because many people were off of work or school between Christmas and New Year’s. – He may be able to shoot flying cornbread while under the influence, but the Dude in “True Grit” couldn’t quite take down Ben Stiller and his “Little Fockers” this New Year’s weekend. For the costliest and highest-profile pictures, however, the results were decidedly mixed.

With less than a 15% drop from its first weekend, it was able to snake its way over True Grit , which did anything but bow out its second go at a weekend take. While inflation and pricey 3-D tickets drove revenues above $10 billion for only the second time, the number of tickets sold was the lowest since 1996, when 1.33 billion moviegoers clicked through turnstiles. Back then, a movie cost $4.42 a ticket. True Grit ‘s earnings even surpassed Little Fockers ‘s earnings on Friday night! Both pictures have been performing slightly worse overseas. Even though the series has clearly lost some of its luster, “Little Fockers” is a notable win for Universal the studio hasn’t seen a movie pass $100 million since “Despicable Me” did in the middle of July.

New Year’s Eve, as is the case with Christmas Eve, is generally regarded as a day for bustle at cineplexes. Attendance saw a drop of 5.4% last year compared with 2009, the largest drop since attendance fell 8.1% in 2005, according to Hollywood.com. The holidays have also brought several outright domestic flops, most notably “How Do You Know” and “Gulliver’s Travels.” But outside of the specialty film realm, “True Grit” is the only recent release to far exceed the expectations of those who made it. The film’s global cumulative intake now stands at $240.9 million, but the movie cost $170 million to make and $120 million to market globally. But you can’t go up against Avatar . In third place, Disney’s “TRON: Legacy” slipped 4% for $18.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $130.9 million. (For those who are curious, the original “TRON” grossed $33 million in 1982, or $89.2 million when adjusted for inflation). It will likely end up the second-highest grossing western of all time, not accounting for ticket price inflation, behind only 1990’s “Dances With Wolves,” which finished its Oscar-winning run at $184.2 million. It appears likely to fall short of $200 million both domestically and overseas, a so-so performance for a picture that cost more than $170 million to produce and was promoted across numerous Disney corporate divisions.

And “Another Year,” the latest drama from acclaimed British director Mike Leigh, opened to $120,000 from six theaters. Jeff Bridges is always welcome to wear the eye patch one more time. “Little Fockers” will likely end up in a similar $300-million-to-$400-million worldwide gross territory. Final figures are due Monday. Tangled also had a very impressive increase in sales with a 55.7% rise from its take Christmas weekend. It expands in the coming weeks and could find itself slipping onto the charts, especially if Ryan Gosling is able to pull in an Academy Award nomination. In limited release, the Ryan Gosling – Michelle Williams romantic drama “Blue Valentine” had a strong opening.

The Mike Leigh -directed drama “Another Year” launched in six theaters on Wednesday to a decent $173,175.

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