Among attendees Saturday night were James Franco, a possible nominee for the drama 127 Hours , and cohost of the Feb. 27 Academy Awards telecast. “I don’t know what it means,” Bardem said of the award’s name. Although many a publicist and guest squinted away last night’s Palm Springs Film Fest gala partying, Wahlberg was in top form, having called it a night early — and rising early to attend church. “It guess it means I don’t speak English.”   Bye-bye, caribou No second season is expected for Sarah Palin’s Alaska , which ended Sunday. Di Felice is now a librarian in Beaumont, but she’s been a festival volunteer for 22 years and a past board member. “We start shooting a week from tomorrow, but (first) we’re doing cast read-throughs,” he said, excited to get in front of the camera again.

The festival has what executive director Darryl Macdonald calls “a voluminous collection of archive material,” but it hasn’t been organized in “a comprehensive, ongoing way.” Since that’s what librarians do, Macdonald asked Di Felice to compile it for a 25th anniversary program booklet or a standalone publication. Maybe it was the buffalo wings tattooed on his back that really made his tights-wearing Swan a standout. De Felice has a plethora of festival memories of her own. I had to do a lot of things I’m not really proud of and I’m not really comfortable discussing on television.” She added that Jake will be invited to any of the co-ed celebrations involving her baby. Gwyneth Paltrow will serve as host next Saturday and she will have to go a long way to best that man in tights.   Team Beckham kicking it up Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and her husband, David , are expecting a child this year, their fourth. The biggest change she’s seen since the days when the late Sonny Bono was developing it as Palm Springs mayor, she said, is, “It’s not so much a local thing any more.” When the festival started in 1990, it attracted just 17,500 people and many if not most were local. We’ve got to take it to another level.” Will there be a wedding? One day at a time.” Mary also caught up with the cast of ‘The Fighter’ and actress Amy Adams was ready to pull some punches!

It grew gradually until 2002 when, with Harold Matzner as chairman, it grew from 51,000 to 64,000 people. Russell , Wahlberg thanked Relativity Media’s Ryan Kavanaugh for “rescuing the film,” after other studios turned it down. But at least it’s in two worlds that I still love.” Franco was in town to present his “127 Hours” director Danny Boyle with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award, named after Palm Springs’ late mayor, who spearheaded creation of the festival 22 years ago. They have three boys: Brooklyn, 11; Romeo, 8; and Cruz, 5.   Weekend box office True Grit seized the reins at the weekend box office with $15 million, taking the No. 1 spot and becoming the first western to top the $100 million mark since the 1990s, according to studio estimates released Sunday. Nicolas Cage ‘s supernatural thriller Season of the Witch opened at No. 3 with $10.7 million; Tron: Legacy was fourth at $9.8 million; and Natalie Portman’s Black Swan rounded out the top five with $8.4 million.   This article includes information from Inquirer wire services and websites.

True Grit and The Blind Side make for unlikely bedfellows, but they share a common attribute they started off slow before turning into steady box-office campfires. Both films didn’t come in No. 1 at the box office until their third frame, an unusual feat. Over the weekend, Paramount and Skydance Prods.’ True Grit bumped Universal’s Little Fockers from the top spot at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $15 million from 3,124 theaters. True Grit’s cume through Sunday was $110.4 million, making it one of the top-grossing Westerns of all time, and there’s no sign of it slowing down. True Grit ($15 million) finally overtook Little Fockers ($13.8 million) for the No. 1 position this weekend at the North American box office, according to early studio reports. How It All Went Down: With apologies to Erasmus, in the land of the maligned, the one-eyed man is king: January is often a burial ground for critically-panned films, and in such a disreputable climate, the Oscar-bait True Grit had little difficultly ruling the roost. Critics hammered Nic Cage’s newest flick, medieval action disasterpiece Season of the Witch . Close behind “Grit” is “Little Fockers,” which has been battling with the desert drama at the box office for the past few weeks. Audiences didn’t have much interest either, handing over little more than $10 million to give the movie a weak third place debut. The top Western is Dances With Wolves, which grossed roughly $184 million domestically. After two weeks in very limited release it hasn’t generated much buzz and the $15 million price tag may prove to be too high to recover. Just as key, the film’s reach has extended beyond the biggest cities to other markets.

We’ll get to them in a moment. Notably, younger moviegoers gave the film an A- CinemaScore, a grade which usually sparks particularly strong word-of-mouth. The comedy has so far made $124 million, which is nothing to sneeze at. A surge in international sales over the last few weeks has helped the production reach possible profitability, but it’s a less than stellar finish for the lackluster fantasy franchise. True Grit , $15 million; $110.4 million, third week 2. The gory ballet thriller “Black Swan” finished the weekend in fifth place. For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below: The film, which has scored buzz not only for Portman’s breakthrough performance but for the flick’s racy sex scene with Mila Kunis, has a total estimated haul of $61 million. Check out everything we’ve got on “True Grit,” “Little Fockers” and “Season of the Witch.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Country Strong , $7.3 million; $7.4 million, third week 7. The Oscar hopeful has so far made $33.3 million.

What’s popular here is popular there. While Westerns can have a tough time at the foreign box office, Joel and Ethan Coen have an avid following internationally. The movie cost about $38 million to produce. 

Paramount and Skydance Prods.’  True Grit   wrested the weekend box office crown from Universal’s  Little Fockers  for the first time, grossing an estimated $15 million from 3,124 theaters and upping its take to $110.4 million. True Grit has quickly galloped to one of the top grossing Westerns of all time, and shows no sign of slowing down to a trot. It’s unusual for a film to move up to No. 1 in its third weekend. Somewhat surprising was the performance of “Season of the Witch” in third.  Debuting with $10.7 million, the Nic Cage fantasy flick had a significant Friday to Saturday bump even with an eye-popping and discouraging C+ cinemascore rating. Heading into the weekend, expectations were muted for both  Season of the Witch  and Sony/Screen Gems’ new nationwide entry  Country Strong , which grossed an estimated $7.3 million to come in No. 6 as it expanded from a two-city run to 1,424 theaters. In its third week of release, True Grit won the weekend with $15 million — a decline of 39 percent. Among newcomers, Nicolas Cage’s supernatural thriller “Season of the Witch” opened at No. 3 with $10.7 million. Attendance is down 23% from the same period last year, and two newcomers this were no help. It was a slow weekend overall compared to the same frame a year ago, when Avatar lit up the domestic box office with a $50 million gross. Cage’s Season of the Witch proved to be doomed among critics and customers. Fourth place went to “Tron Legacy” with another $9.8 million and $147.9 million to date.  The lightcycle ride is beginning to slow down, but whether we’ll really get a third film in the series remains to be seen.

The supernatural Nicholas Cage vehicle “Season of the Witch” landed in the theaters in third place. Tron: Legacy from Disney wound up in the fourth spot with $9.8 million and a total cumulative of $147.9 million.  With the 3-D and IMAX components continuing to enhance the revenue generating potential for the sci-fi re-boot, Tron has benefitted from providing a summer-style movie-going experience during the winter season. The Crusades-era thriller earned recommendations from 4% of the nation’s critics, according to the review site RottenTomatoes.com, a score almost unheard of in the age of fan blogs. The movie, projected to earn $12 million this weekend, took in $10.7 million, according to studio estimates from Hollywood.com. “Country Strong” wasn’t far behind “Swan,” however, expanding nationally for $7.3 million. The video-game fantasy flick — and second movie after “Grit” in the top five featuring Jeff Bridges — “Tron Legacy” spent the weekend in fourth place. The follow-up to the game-changing 1982 flick snapped up $9.8 million. The comedy has so far made $124 million, which is nothing to sneeze at. Sony Pictures Classics’ Another Year grossed an estimated $91,791 from seven theaters for a location average of $13,113 and cume of $308,245. Focus Features’ Somewhere grossed an estimated $159,600 from 17 theaters for a location average of $9,386 and cume of $659,900.

Eminem ‘s ‘Recovery’ album was the biggest-selling album in the US last year, new figures have revealed. According to entertainment data information system Nielden SoundScan ‘s annual report, the album sold 3.42million copies in 2010. As expected, the year-end Nielsen SoundScan numbers once again tell a tale of an industry in turmoil.   There were a few bright spots, but 2010 was mostly about diminishing returns. Lady Antebellum ‘s ‘Need You Now’ was the second highest-selling album, shifting 3.09million copies, while Taylor Swift ‘s ‘Speak Now’ was third highest-selling, with 2.96million sold. Recovery is also the No. 1 digital album, with 852,000 copies, and Eminem trumps competitors in digital tracks, selling a combined 14 million. Beside winning four coveted prizes at People’s Choice Awards, Eminem is also celebrating another accolade as he scores 2010′s U.S. best-selling album with his latest set ” Recovery “. The disc, which was the rapper’s sixth chart-topper, has moved more than 3.4 million units since its June release. In 2002, The Eminem Show sold 7.61m copies. This is the second time he reached the landmark, making him the first act to top year-end sale number in more than one year. Taylor Swift’s third album, “Speak Now,” came in at No. 3 with 2.96 million in sales.

She becomes the only artist to have sold more than 4 million albums in each of the past three years. In the five prior years, catalog albums had outperformed current album sales. In the 52 weeks ending Jan. 2, album sales fell 13% to 326.2 million units, and digital track sales managed only a 1% gain, to 1.17 billion. For the year, it garnered 31.4% market share in albums (including track-equivalent ones), beating out Sony Music Entertainment’s 27.4% slice and Warner Music Group’s 19.8% performance. That hefty consumption of downloads helped offset overall music losses, which fell only 2.4%. EMI finished fourth with 9.6%, while the indie sector collectively garnered 11.6%. Antebellum sold 3.09 million copies with their ” Need You Now “, and Swift scanned 2.96 million units with her ” Speak Now “. Only 13 albums sold more than 1 million copies in 2010, down from 22 in 2009. More than one-fourth of albums sold last year were downloads.

Several slots lower, Perry places her single “Teenage Dream” at No. 12 (3.01 million) and “Firework” at No. 28 (2.33 million). Fans bought 71% of vinyl albums in independent record stores. U.S. best-selling albums: ” Recovery ” – Eminem (3.42 million) ” Need You Now ” – Lady Antebellum (3.09 million) ” Speak Now ” – Taylor Swift (2.96 million) ” My World 2.0 ” – Justin Bieber (2.32 million) ” The Gift ” – Susan Boyle (1.85 million) ” The Fame ” – Lady GaGa (1.59 million) ” Soldier of Love ” – Sade (1.30 million) ” Thank Me Later ” – Drake (1.27 million) ” Raymond vs. Eminem and Rihanna ‘s ‘Love The Way You Lie’ was the third most downloaded song, selling 4.25million copies. In the vinyl sales stakes things were a bit more indie, with The Beatles ‘ ‘Abbey Road’ reissue selling the most, with 35,000 sales.

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.

- 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. “Fockers” dropped 15% but still won the frame with $26.3 million, according to studio estimates. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The commercially underwhelming comedy “Little Fockers” narrowly held its lead at the North American box office during the holiday weekend, as Hollywood’s prolonged slump spilled over into the new year. Back then, a movie cost $4.42 a ticket. Ben said: “I think it is about the father-in-law and son-in-law relationship and the idea of how you deal with that guy who is sort of giving his daughter over to you. Despite bad reviews and less-than-kind word-of-mouth from ticket buyers, Fockers laughed up an estimated $26.3 million from 3,554 screens to bring its 12-day total to $103.1 million.

But none had anywhere near the impact of 2009′s Sherlock Holmes, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and of course Avatar , each of which eventually accumulated more than $200 million in their domestic release. “Little Fockers,” the third entry in the dueling in-laws franchise starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, has earned $103.2 million after 12 days. 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). But I did ask him if it was cool if I asked his daughter to marry me.

Its predecessor, “Meet the Fockers,” released exactly six years earlier, had pulled in almost $163 million after the same period. And there’s little sign yet of recovery. And I think that dynamic is something that people around the world can identify with – you want to impress that person and from the other side, it’s about the feelings a father has when he is letting go of a daughter.” Stiller appears opposite acting legend De Niro, who plays intimidating father-in-law Jack Byrnes for a third time in Little Fockers. The Jeff Bridges Western remake “True Grit,” one of the few hits of the holiday season, has earned $86.8 million after 12 days. True Grit did beat the Fockers on New Year’s Eve, which may say less about the film’s appeal than about the social status of Coen brothers’ fans; only the lonely would think that seeing a movie about three strangers on a manhunt was a cheerful way to ring in the new. Paramount had a happy new year with the number two film in the country, the Coen Brothers update of True Grit. But Grit has to be considered a success: made for a thrifty $38 million, it has amassed $86.8 million in less than two weeks to become the Coens’ highest-grossing film to date, topping No Country for Old Men ‘s $74.2 million. (See TIME’s top 10 movies of 2010.) TRON: Legacy , sequel to the pioneer video-game fantasy, earned $18.3 million and has now passed the $130 million domestic mark. Internationally, “Little Fockers” earned $22.5 million, taking its total to $72 million.

It ranked No. 3 overseas behind the domestic dud “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Tron: Legacy,” which each earned about $24 million over the weekend. Check back next weekend as “Season of the Witch,” the medieval-set thriller starring Nicolas Cage, finally reaches theaters. (It was originally scheduled to be released last March).

The music drama “Country Strong,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw, will also expand nationwide.

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. ‘Little Fockers’ finds Greg Focker ( Ben Stiller ) finally in range of father-in-law Jack’s ( Robert De Niro ) good graces when he’s asked to become the family’s next patriarch, aka “The GodFocker.” As expected, anything that can possibly go wrong goes wrong with flying colors, and as Greg’s twins’ birthday approaches, he must prove he’s got what it takes to become the man of the house. Costing a modest $38 million to produce, True Grit grossed an estimated $24.5 million from 3,083 theaters for the weekend to reach  $86.8 million.

The movies, all either sequels or remakes, were unchanged in rank from last weekend. Meanwhile, the Coen brothers-directed western ‘True Grit’ came in at No. 2 for the second weekend in a row, grossing another $24.5 million. And there’s little sign yet of recovery. True Grit  came in No. 2 for New Year’s weekend behind Universal’s Little Fockers , which has turned in a softer-than-expected performance, even while topping the domestic box office chart. Coming in at No. 5 was ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,’ grossing $10.5 million. The film, expected to compete for Oscar’s biggest prizes, has earned $86.8 million in two weeks, making it already the highest grossing film for Joel and Ethan Coen . The holiday season in 2009 was unusually strong, largely because of James Cameron’s “Avatar,” which was on its way to becoming the biggest modern blockbuster with $2.8 billion worldwide.

Tron: Legacy continued to play well, raking in $18.3 million this weekend and lifting its three-week total to $130.9 million. Save for True Grit  and other top awards contenders, the Christmas season has been a disappointment for Hollywood studios. “What made the difference last year was just that incredible combination of films,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Hollywood.com box-office analyst. It’s already the most successful Coen brothers film ever, with a total gross of $86.8 million, and is on its way to grossing well over $100 million. “Little Fockers” has done good business despite bad reviews for the third installment in De Niro and Stiller’s “Meet the Parents” franchise. “I’m sorry the business isn’t better for the industry overall, but having said that, it doesn’t make a difference for us. “Considering it’s the third time around, not so bad.” “True Grit” is a rare hit Western — once a Hollywood staple but a genre that has all but vanished. Tron  placed No. 3 over New Years weekend at the domestic box office, grossing an estimated $18.3 million from 3,365 theaters for a cume of $130.9 million. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader rounded out the top five with $10.5 million, bringing its four-week total to $87.1 million.

Final figures are due Monday.

Right behind True Grit was the comedic threequel Little Fockers , which rose 57 percent to laugh up $7.8 million and bring its cumulative total to $84.7 million. Even though it placed second on Friday, Fockers may wind up winning the weekend thanks to an increased presence from family audiences on Saturday and Sunday. In collaboration with Rotten Tomatoes and its parent company, Flixster, The Chronicle presents the critical consensus of the Coen brothers’ best-reviewed films. Paramount’s True Grit rang in the New Year at the top of the domestic B.O., grossing roughly $8.2 million on Friday from 3,083 theaters to overtake Universal’s Little Fockers for the first time. But it’s too close to call at this point — both films are on track to make around $26 million. True Grit’ s cume is $70.4 million. Blood Simple (1984) 95% Brutally violent and shockingly funny in equal measure, this movie offers early evidence of the Coen brothers’ twisted sensibilities and filmmaking ingenuity. Small isn’t always beautiful, but you’re no true film lover if you’re not open to discovering movies as original and invigorating as “Mother,” from South Korea, or “A Prophet,” from France (combined U.S. gross: $2.5 million). Miller’s Crossing (1990) 90% Though possibly more notable for its distinctive style than an airtight story, this Coen brothers’ take on the classic gangster flick features sharp dialogue, impressive cinematography, and a typically quirky cast of characters. No, no, no.” Then, turning the tables on Horowitz, Bridges asked, “Are you high now? Fourth place went to “Yogi Bear” which seems to be the minor family film player this season with another $4 million and $57 million overall.  Certainly not a disaster, but not the hit Warner’s was hoping for. On that note, without further ado, my top 10 of the year: 1.

Barton Fink (1991) 90% Twisty and unsettling, the Coen brothers’ satirical tale of a 1940s playwright-turned-screenwriter (John Turturro) struggling with writer’s block is packed with their trademark sense of humor and terrific performances. “Carlos” Few films pack as much information about the state of the world as this high velocity thriller about the notorious ’70s terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, aka Carlos the Jackal. Of course!” It’s the kind of laid-back response you would expect from Bridges. I was lucky enough to catch the full 330-minute TV version, not the 160-minute feature released in U.S. theatres. Among other releases, “The King’s Speech” out grossed “Black Swan” for the first time as “Swan’s” younger audience no doubt headed out to celebrate the new year.  “Speech” found $2.5 million in just 700 theaters for a new gross of $17.6 million.  “Swan,” and still a sensation mind you, found $1.93 million in 1,550 theaters for a very impressive $40 million so far.

ABCNews.com rounded up a few other actors whose art seemed to imitate their lives this year. Now, Cox, 46, who plays a 40-something single mom re-entering the dating scene in “Cougar Town,” could be a cougar on the prowl in real life, too. Flixster is the world’s biggest online movie community and the leading mobile movie-information provider. Yogi Bear snatched fourth with $4.1 million — a bigger-than-the-average-bear jump of 93 percent. Check back here on Sunday for the complete box office report, and Happy New Year! 1.

She provided a hearty wrap-up of the live-your-best-life fare she will curate across the network’s schedule.

OWN will initially be available in more than 80 million homes. Instead of launching OWN with the 25th season of Oprah: Behind the Scenes – which probably would have been the best way to immediately capture viewers – we got a pretty dull look at Hank, an obviously likable and well-meaning guy from Santa Monica, Calif., who bums out his family whenever he travels for work (which, apparently, is every freaking week). With the addition this week of Cablevision Systems Corp. , about 85 million homes will be able to see the daytime television queen’s new network. In comparison, there are about 115.9 million television households, according to Nielsen Co., and the largest networks, like the … She wants her new block of original programming to serve a purpose in your life. All for the best, I guess?) At least OWN’s first show seemed to attract some pretty impressive advertisers, like Procter & Gamble, Swiffer and a pregnancy test, though the site of the artificially-enhanced Suzanne Somers for sexyforever.com was more than a little frightening.

But so far, there are a few docu-series that seem like they could be a tad misguided in the inadvertently hilarious way. Though she says it’s too early to tell whether OWN will drive up Comcast subscriptions, Halprin feels there’s buzz about the channel that will build after today’s launch. Shows like “In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman,” a cartoonishly awkward sex rehab program for middle-aged couples.

We haven’t seen an episode, per se, but if Oprah’s extended preview is telling, it could become required viewing. For viewers both men and women I think they’re about to be blown away.” Others, however, are wondering whether OWN is just another cable network that will get lost in the channel-surfing shuffle. As of 2007, her net worth was over $1.5 billion. The startup cost for the network, which was originally announced three years ago, has ballooned to a reported $189 million. In June, Winfrey ends her wildly successful weekday syndicated show after 25 years.

Val Kilmer owes nearly $500,000 in federal taxes, and a lien has been placed on the “Batman Forever” actor’s property, including a New Mexico ranch he’s trying to sell.

He put his 5,300-acre Pecos River Ranch on the market for $33 million in 2009. Six miles of popular trout-fishing river runs through the ranch. Mr. Kilmer currently operates the ranch as a bed and breakfast. Kilmer settled the debt earlier this year. Mr. Kilmer has starred in films including “The Doors” and “Batman Forever.” In 2009, the longtime New Mexico resident flirted with the idea of running for governor. Jonathan Adler-Simon Doonan Home on Shelter Island Reduced Designer Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys New York, reduced the price on their Shelter Island, N.Y., home to just under $1.2 million, about a third off its original listing price of $1.8 million earlier this year. The couple bought the three bedroom, two-bathroom mid-century modern house for $185,000 in 1998 and gut-renovated it.

California man perpetrates million dollar tax conspiracy An Orange County, California, resident has been charged with masterminding a conspiracy that allowed hundreds of people to claim more than $760 million in fraudulent income tax deductions. Located near a beach, the half-acre property includes a 1,300-square-foot house and a 75-foot-long heated swimming pool.

The ranch is now listed for sale at $18.5 million, down from $23 million in October.

That was a somewhat disappointing opening weekend total when you consider that the film cost around $170 million to make. Debuting at number one this week is the third chapter of the popular Meet the Parents series, Little Fockers . The comedy “Little Fockers” led the Christmas weekend box office in the U.S. and Canada, taking in $34 million in ticket sales for Universal Pictures. “True Grit,” the Western drama from directors and brothers Joel and Ethan Coen , opened in second place with $25.6 million for Paramount Pictures, researcher Hollywood.com Box- Office said in an e-mailed statement. LOS ANGELES Considering that Christmas Eve – traditionally one of the slowest days for moviegoing all year – fell on a Friday, it would have taken a holiday miracle to keep box-office receipts from tumbling from what they were a year ago. The movie made $34 million in its opening weekend, bringing its total gross to around $48 million, which is actually almost half of its $100 million production costs. “Little Fockers” was not that holiday miracle. With Christmas Eve falling on a Friday, no must-see event picture a la Avatar playing at the multiplexes and an overall so-so selection of films to choose from, the box office top ten was off a steep 45% from last year at this time. The movie made $25.6 million in its opening weekend, bringing its total gross to around $36.8 million, which almost earns back its entire $38 million production budget. Intended blockbusters are falling flat.” “Avatar” was the top movie at this time last year, with Christmas weekend sales of $75.6 million before going on to become the top-grossing film of all time. “Little Fockers” is the third film in the series about two incompatible families linked by marriage. Falling two places from last week to number three is the sequel to the groundbreaking 1982 film, Tron , Tron: Legacy . That’s nearly double the studio’s original estimate and marks the biggest opening ever for a Coen Bros. film, trampling “Burn After Reading’s” $19.1 million. It is also the biggest first weekend for a Western since 1999′s “Wild Wild West.” It’s undoubtedly a more respectable entry in the genre than that Wild Wild Mess, nabbing a B+ CinemaScore grade from audiences and, surprising considering the type of film it is, an A- from those younger than 25. Meanwhile, Yogi Bear has already been bumped out of the top five, and, as expected , Gulliver’s Travels 3D placed a disappointing seventh, earning only $7 million since its Christmas day opening.

And for the first time in 2010, year-to-date box office receipts dropped below that of 2009, despite substantial price increases mainly due to 3-D. The digitized sequel will have to keep going strong if it hopes to get in the black considering its sizable budget. Day-to-day trends in ticket sales, including a big dip on Christmas Eve and a huge jump on Christmas Day, were similar, however.

So please check back in seven days to see who comes out on top at the box office next week! Share While Jeff Bridges’ two movies, {True Grit} and {Tron: Legacy}, take second and third place.

Though the comedy leads the chart, it is Coen brothers’ drama that has a stronger-than-expected result with about $25 million. Despite some people’s hesitance about this follow-up to ” Meet the Fockers “, the PG-13 comedy still becomes number one choice for family entertainment on this holiday with an estimated $34 million opening cume. – Viewers wanting to spend the holidays with a dysfunctional family other than their own helped secure “Little Fockers” the top spot. Little Fockers led the box office over the three-day Christmas weekend, taking in a healthy $34 million, according to studio estimates.

“It’s a very positive result and hopefully a blueprint for success over the next few weeks when the larger moviegoing pool is available.” But it is ” True Grit ” which deserves the praise. Made with only $38 million budget, Ethan and Joel Coen’s remake of the 1969 Western movie debuts at number two with an approximately $25.6 million, which is beyond expectation. The Coen Brothers-directed Western “True Grit” was a surprisingly strong No. 2 with $36.8 million in the same five-day period. That’s nearly double the studio’s original estimate and marks the biggest opening ever for a Coen Bros. film, trampling “Burn After Reading’s” $19.1 million. As a result, total Christmas weekend grosses tumbled 45 percent from a year ago, when the blockbuster “Avatar” dominated, according to Hollywood.com. It is also the biggest first weekend for a Western since 1999′s “Wild Wild West.” It’s undoubtedly a more respectable entry in the genre than that Wild Wild Mess, nabbing a B+ CinemaScore grade from audiences and, surprising considering the type of film it is, an A- from those younger than 25. True Grit , Joel and Ethan Coen ‘s version of the 1968 Charles Portis novel about a 14-year-old girl who hires a drunken U.S. marshal to track down her father’s killer, also did well this holiday weekend, earning $25.6 million. The filmmakers’ previous top debut was “Burn After Reading,” which earned $19 million in its first weekend in 2008. Coming in third was TRON: Legacy , the sequel to the 1982 sci-fi cult favorite TRON . The digitized sequel will have to keep going strong if it hopes to get in the black considering its sizable budget. “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and “Yogi Bear” round out the Top 5, showing that families looking for wholesome entertainment had no problem choosing something a few weeks old over the stale-on-delivery “Gulliver’s Travels,” which debuted at No. 7 with a Lilliputian $7.2 million. Three people close to the film said its budget was between $130 million and $140 million, though a spokeswoman for Universal said the cost was about $100 million. But even those factors aside, the mishmash of critical failures and underperforming blockbusters made it a notably lackluster holiday for Hollywood.

“The King’s Speech,” which experienced its first major expansion, received a quite eloquent $4.6 million in 700 theaters, giving it a $6,511 per-screen average. “In terms of the big blockbusters, no way can we live up to last year.” Though Dergarabedian noted timing and weather were worse this year, he said: “Ultimately, it comes down to the product.” The most remarkable bright spot was the Coen brothers’ authentic adaptation of Charles Portis’ 1968 novel and remake of the 1969 film starring John Wayne. Definitely not a disaster, but still not the numbers that the powers-that-be wanted. The sci-fi adds an estimated $20.1 million to its domestic gross. Top Ten Movies at Box Office for December 24-26: ” Little Fockers ” – $34 million ” True Grit ” – $25.6 million ” Tron Legacy ” – $20.1 million ” The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ” – $10.8 million ” Yogi Bear ” – $8.8 million ” The Fighter ” – $8.5 million ” Gulliver’s Travels ” – $7.2 million ” Black Swan ” – $6.6 million ” Tangled ” – $6.5 million ” The Tourist ” – $5.7 million

- Viewers wanting to spend the holidays with a dysfunctional family other than their own helped secure “Little Fockers” the top spot. But even a significant boost on Christmas Day couldn’t keep the comedy from underperforming, pulling in $34 million over the weekend and taking its five-day cume up to $48 million. Little Fockers led the box office over the three-day Christmas weekend, taking in a healthy $34 million, according to studio estimates. The third installment of the Fockers franchise raked in an estimated $34 million. The third installment of the Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro series of in-law comedy was to earn $34 million over the three-day weekend, and $48.3 million since opening on Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday. So which flick brought the most people out of the house and into movie seats? If nothing else, this blustery Christmas weekend showed that revenge, or at least a revenge-fueled Western, is a dish best served cold. Excluding True Grit  and several other awards contenders, domestic results weren’t spectacular for holiday titles, putting intense pressure on the coming week. He said 53% of the audience was under age 30. Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro teaming up for a third time had the most pull, giving Little Fockers the top spot with an estimated $34 million over the weekend, bringing its total since it’s Wednesday debut to $48 million. Christmas weekend box office grosses were down 44% from 2009, although comparisons are virtually impossible because of the holiday falling on a Saturday this year.

True Grit , Joel and Ethan Coen ‘s version of the 1968 Charles Portis novel about a 14-year-old girl who hires a drunken U.S. marshal to track down her father’s killer, also did well this holiday weekend, earning $25.6 million. Twentieth Century Fox’s Christmas Day opener  Gulliver’s Travels   grossed a soft $7.2 million from 2,546 theaters on Saturday and Sunday to come in No. 7 for the weekend. The filmmakers’ previous top debut was “Burn After Reading,” which earned $19 million in its first weekend in 2008.

Still, Little Fockers is blowing every movie away, except when it comes to the previous film, Meet the Fockers , which brought in $46.1 million in it’s opening weekend. “Little Fockers,” which adds kids to the mix, received overwhelmingly bad reviews but still lured moviegoers. Coming in third was TRON: Legacy , the sequel to the 1982 sci-fi cult favorite TRON . Overall, the Focker films have grossed $850 million worldwide. Jeff Bridges is the star of the weekend, with major roles in two of the top five movies. As for Tron: Legacy …well, it’s not exactly the juggernaut Disney may have hoped. In key markets including the U.K., France and Russia, Fockers  came in ahead of sequel Meet the Parents , which opened over the same frame in 2004. The expensive sci-fi flick grossed $20.1 million over the weekend, and the 54 percent drop is a bummer considering this time of year is supposed to be uber-profitable for the box office. In limited release, awards-buzz films did well. “The King’s Speech,” which experienced its first major expansion, received a quite eloquent $4.6 million in 700 theaters, giving it a $6,511 per-screen average.

Little Fockers led the box office over the three-day Christmas weekend, taking in a healthy $34 million, according to studio estimates. Those two films have collected nearly $850 million worldwide. The comedy “Little Fockers” led the Christmas weekend box office in the U.S. and Canada, taking in $34 million in ticket sales for Universal Pictures. “True Grit,” the Western drama from directors and brothers Joel and Ethan Coen , opened in second place with $25.6 million for Paramount Pictures, researcher Hollywood.com Box- Office said today in an e-mailed statement. The Fockers are still the king of the busy holiday box office as “Little Fockers” had a pretty good start, but the Coen brothers’ “True Grit” was surprisingly close on their heels. The third installment of the Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro series of in-law comedy was to earn $34 million over the three-day weekend, and $48.3 million since opening on Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday. Ticket revenue fell for a seventh consecutive weekend, narrowing chances that 2010 box-office sales will exceed last year’s record $10.6 billion, Paul Dergarabedian , president of Hollywood.com’s box-office service, said in an interview. “Little Fockers” is the third film in the series about two incompatible families linked by marriage. The second big story was the impressive debut of the Coen bros.’ “True Grit” with $36.8 million.  That was more than enough to knock “Tron Legacy” to third with $31.8 million and $88.3 million to date.  “Grit,” a potential Oscar contender, was only expected to gross $25-30 million for the frame it could easily hit $100 million by mid January. “Little Fockers” opened to a studio-estimated $48.3 million from its Wednesday opening through Sunday, not bad but well behind the $70.5-million launch of its predescessor, “Meet the Fockers,” on the same dates in 2004. Though the opening of the PG-13 family comedy starring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro was softer than expected based on pre-release surveys going into the weekend, “True Grit” topped expectations. Coming in third was TRON: Legacy , the sequel to the 1982 sci-fi cult favorite TRON . Time will tell whether the seasonal spirit will carry its legs across ever-thinning ice, but for now, to be the no 1 movie over Xmas at the box-office is at least focking something to celebrate, as well as having bagged just under $50 million since Wednesday. Another Oscar frontrunner, “The King’s Speech,” had its first major expansion to 700 theaters on Christmas day and found a strong $4.6 million for a new cume of $8.4 million. Sofia Coppola’s Hollywood drama “Somewhere” opened in limited release with $196,168 in just seven theaters for a per screen of $28,024 since Wednesday.

“Little Fockers,” which adds kids to the mix, received overwhelmingly bad reviews but still lured moviegoers. Little Fockers finished No. 1 in Spain ($3.3 million from 323 locales), No. 3 in France ($3 million from 484 locations) and No. 2 in Germany ($2 million from 650 spots).

Drifting aimlessly at 4, Voyage of the Dawn Treader trawled another $10.8 million to add to a sparse catch of $63.9 million on an encouraging decline of only 12.8%.  Perhaps the only reason that holds water as to why it hasn’t fared better is that why should audiences pay more to see in 3D the sequel to a second part no-one liked? The film also stars Jeff Bridges, as a programmer who has remained in the cyber world for two decades. The film expanded to 700 theaters on Christmas Day, taking in $4.6 million over the holiday weekend. Final figures for this holiday weekend are due Monday.

Sorry, they were told, wrong answer. The network says it will give the couple another chance, though just when isn’t clear. Fox just introduced their brand new game show called “Million Dollar Money Drop,” in which contestants start out with $1 million and are then asked to wager all or portions of the money on how well they know answers to questions. LOS ANGELES, Calif. Gabe Okoye and girlfriend Brittany Mayti will get another chance to win some cash. And even though the show is less than a week old, it is already dealing with a controversy involving a couple which lost $800,000 on a wrong answer that turned out to be correct. But they then saw $800,000 fall through the trap door as the show said that Post-it’s came the year after the Walkman’s 1979 debut. The contestants are given a million dollars. It turns out that Fox was wrong, because Post-It notes were actually sold in four cities in 1977, a full two years before the Walkman was introduced. Each team on the Fox show is given a million dollars at the start of the high-stakes game. Fox immediately admitted their mistake and has now invited the couple back to the show to try to win the $1 million again. Whatever they wager on the right answer is what they get to keep. The couple, however, is not sure if they want to return.

“Unfortunately, the information our research department originally obtained from 3M regarding when Post-it notes were first sold was incomplete.  As a result of new information we have received from 3M, we feel it is only fair to give our contestants, Gabe and Brittany, another shot to play Million Dollar Money Drop even though this question was not the deciding question in their game.  The revised information regarding the Post-it is as follows: the product was originally tested for sale in four cities under the name ‘Press ‘N Peel’ in 1977, sold as ‘Post-its’ in 1979 when the rollout introduction began and sold nationwide in 1980.  We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the viewers who brought this to our attention, and we’re thrilled to give Gabe and Brittany the opportunity to return to play the game.” It’s too close.” Kit agreed, asking, “Shouldn’t the show just have you back on?” “If they decide to give us the money then that’s their decision, if not, then, you know, it is what it is,” Gabe told Access’ riled-up hosts. “Honestly, it was a lot of money — you start thinking about what you could do with it, trying to help the family out. “That’s really what we wanted to do with it, is just help our families out,” Gabe concluded. The couple planned to use the money for their wedding. Mayti thought the Walkman was the correct answer. After an internet firestorm, Fox has finally addressed the snafu publically, offering the pair a chance to play again. Its unclear whether theyll take Fox up on the offer, but its hard to imagine anyone turning down a chance to win a million dollars in less than an hour. And Okoye and May aren’t sure they want to do it. “To go through that again — maybe to lose again — that’s a lot of stress,” Okoye said.

“There are no second acts in American lives,” said F Scott Fitzgerald. But they then saw $800,000 fall through the trap door as the show said that Post-it’s came the year after the Walkman’s 1979 debut. Cue game-show anguish as our plucky competitors were apparently consigned to loser-ville. ( See the top 10 game-show moments. ) And then the internet got involved. So, is this sound good for you? “Unfortunately, the information our research department originally obtained from 3M regarding when Post-it notes were first sold was incomplete,” Executive Producer Jeff Applof said. “As a result of new information we have received from 3M, we feel it is only fair to give our contestants, Gabe and Brittany, another shot to play Million Dollar Money Drop even though this question was not the deciding question in their game.” In the show, Gabe’s fiancee Brittany disagreed with him on the question but still ended up betting a much smaller amount on her guess — the Walkman. You need to have that money!,” Lisa exclaimed. “Come on! “When you get that much money, even if it’s just for a little bit, you make plans and dreams,” Mayti said. “The product was originally tested for sale in four cities under the name ‘Press ‘N Peel’ in 1977, sold as ‘Post-its’ in 1979 when the rollout introduction began and sold nationwide in 1980,” Mr Apploff said. “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the viewers who brought this to our attention, and we’re thrilled to give Gabe and Brittany the opportunity to return to play the game.” The couple lost $800,000 on the question but still won $80,000 for betting on the Walkman. “I’ve tried to develop methods of stopping them without being rude. Many questions are heavily focused on current or recent events (even events that occur during the airing of the show), to push the fact that, in some areas, the show is broadcast live. At the beginning of each round, the contestants have to pick a category of two choices they are given.

The two argued for their choices, all while piling heaps of cash on the blocks representing the answers. The players must pile cash bundles on the answers they believe are right (or the only right answer, if they’re sure). Each question is multiple-choice, with the first four questions having four choices, the next three (or two) questions having three, and the final question having just two choices. “I really went with Gabe’s instinct because he’s so passionate,” she said. “The idea was to put it 20 feet up in the air,” says executive producer Jeff Apploff, “give people a daunting feeling. After missing the question and losing nearly a million dollars in a matter of seconds, they blew the rest of the game. “I love that part of it.” Of course, if the contestants ace all the questions, the cool million is theirs – but that’s harder than it sounds. The show is usually an hour long although in event of a series finale, the show carries on until the contestants either win or lose. Multiple doors appear on the screen corresponding to bonus prizes. They’re standing a foot away. A debate began to rage over the relevance of the Press ‘N Peel, which not only led to the Post-it but was tested in four cities in 1977. “Unfortunately, the information our research department originally obtained from 3M regarding when Post-it notes were first sold was incomplete.  As a result of new information we have received from 3M, we feel it is only fair to give our contestants, Gabe and Brittany, another shot to play Million Dollar Money Drop even though this question was not the deciding question in their game.  The revised information regarding the Post-it is as follows: the product was originally tested for sale in four cities under the name ‘Press ‘N Peel’ in 1977, sold as ‘Post-its’ in 1979 when the rollout introduction began and sold nationwide in 1980.  We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the viewers who brought this to our attention, and we’re thrilled to give Gabe and Brittany the opportunity to return to play the game.”

Universal’s Little Fockers  grossed $7.1 million from 3,536 theaters on Thursday at the domestic box office, according to preliminary estimates. That brings the film’s two-day cume to $14.3 million. A version of this review appeared Wednesday. Before most of America gets together with their families for the Christmas holiday, a good portion of them took to the theaters Thursday to enjoy the comedic stylings of “Little Fockers.”  The third Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller tête-à-tête found another $7.2 million on Thursday for a two-day total of $14.4 million.  While solid business, that’s far behind the franchise’s previous installment, Meet the Fockers,” which grossed $24.2 million over its first two days in 2006.   Nipping at “Fockers’” heels was Disney’s “Tron Legacy” with another $6.1 million and a seven day cume of $68.2 million.  “Legacy” will easily pass $100 million domestic, but whether it can truly become a franchise hit remains to be seen. From brilliance to banality.  ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ is the latest from Jack Black and it seems to rest entirely on his shoulders.  If you’re a fan of Black, you’ll probably enjoy the film.  If you’re not then you’ll want to stay away. Disney’s 3D holiday offering  Tron: Legacy  came in No. 2 on Thursday, grossing an estimated $6.1 million from 3,531 locations for a cume of $68.2 million in its first seven days. Hitting the trail in third was “True Grit.”  The Coen Bros.

Some of these references, too, hail from Portis’ book, but after tackling the trials of Job in A Serious Man , the moviemaking siblings appear to have taken an especially keen interest in the venerable Christian and Hebrew texts. Paramount’s True Grit  placed No. 3, grossing roughly $5.7 million from 3,047 theaters for a pleasing two-day total of at least $11.2 million. “Yogi Bear” drummed up some more family business for fourth place with $3.8 million and $28 million so far. Playing in 3,515 theaters, Yogi’s  cume is $28 million in its first seven days. It will battle “Fockers” and “Gulliver’s Travels” for major family coin during the holiday break beginning tomorrow. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack’s suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back.   Jeff Bridges – whose previous collaboration with the Coens produced cinema’s iconic stoner, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski – plays Cogburn with eye patch and baggy long johns, and with a gruff, grizzled conviction.

Among specialty offerings, Fox Searchlight’s Black Swan  remained a favorite, coming in No. 7 with a gross of $1.8 million from 1,462 theaters for a cume of $22.4 million. Theater traffic is expected to drop off dramatically today, and then begin picking up tomorrow afternoon.

Ticket sales fell for a sixth straight weekend, making it less likely Hollywood will exceed last year’s record $10.6 billion in the U.S. and Canada. This year’s holiday films are up against a 2009 slate that included “Avatar,” the top-grossing film of all time, and “The Blind Side,” a surprise hit that generated $256 million in domestic sales, according to researcher Box Office Mojo. “We might actually barely exceed the $10.6 (billion), but it’s built on the back of higher ticket prices,” Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com’s box-office unit, said in an interview. “It will be a shallow victory.” “Tron: Legacy” continues the story of programmer Kevin Flynn, who has been trapped in a video game for 20 years. “Tron: Legacy” scored big with moviegoers, generating nearly $44 million at the U.S. box office alone during its opening weekend. In the new film, Flynn’s son Sam is transported into the digital world while investigating his father’s disappearance. Yogi and his friend, Boo Boo, join forces with a park ranger to save their home. “Tron: Legacy,” Disney, $44,026,211, 3,451 locations, $12,758 average, $44,026,211, one week. 2. In addition, two low-budget films moved from limited to nationwide release with strong performances. “Well, it’s that whole, you know, the computer culture was just starting up when we did ‘Tron.’ There was no internet. That price tag doesn’t even account for the various marketing and promotional efforts, which had more to do with “Tron” as a brand and less with the actual movie itself.

“Yogi Bear,” Warner Bros., $16,411,322, 3,515 locations, $4,669 average, $16,411,322, one week. 3. The Mark Wahlberg boxing story “The Fighter” raked in $12.2 million, while the psychological drama “Black Swan,” playing in fewer than half as many theaters as each of the other four movies, grossed $8.3 million. Disney’s “Tangled” dropped to fifth from third with $8.8 million, while the thriller “Black Swan,” took in $8.4 million for seventh place. With so much riding on solid box-office returns, the opening-weekend performance of “Legacy” wasn’t exactly stellar. “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” Fox, $12,388,662, 3,555 locations, $3,485 average, $42,752,237, two weeks. 4. Language is minimal and there are no sexual moments despite the intellectual subject matter. The film, which features Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis as rival ballerinas, expanded to 959 theaters from 18.

I think it’s guys who were raised on video games who have a fondness for it.” And with its strong ticket sales, greatly thanks to showings in IMAX 3D, the legacy of Tron has been given a reboot for the digital age. “The Fighter,” Paramount, $12,135,468, 2,503 locations, $4,848 average, $12,569,403, two weeks. 5. I’m co-producer on the movie and I don’t have a title on the game. Tron pulled in $44 million as the top box office movie over the pre-holiday weekend. Yogi Bear was second at the box office and not even close to matching Tron’s success. ‘Yogi Bear’, as it aims its sights squarely at kids 10 and under with many movie scenes with juvenile humor. “How Do You Know,” Sony, $7,484,696, 2,483 locations, $3,014 average, $7,484,696, one week. 9. The new live action and 3d-animation film version of the classic cartoon isn’t dumbed-down so much that old kids and adult’s won’t enjoy it. Overseas revenue was more muted, as “Tron: Legacy” took in a so-so $23 million from the 26 foreign markets where it debuted, including Britain, Spain, Australia and Japan. The big question for Disney now is whether the PG -rated film can move from a fanboy-driven debut to an all-ages hit that families see together.

The Box-Office Top Five. #1 “Tron Legacy” ($43.6 million) #2 “Yogi Bear” ($16.7 million) #3 “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” ($12.4 million) #4 “The Fighter” ($12.2 million) #5 “The Tourist” ($8.7 million) Upcoming Releases.

If it doesn’t, it could fizzle and end up a financial disappointment due to narrow appeal. And how do we arrive at a story that takes place in 2010? “The King’s Speech,” Weinstein Co., $1,097,131, 43 locations, $25,515 average, $2,936,959, four weeks. 15. A soft opening leaves it with a significant ground to make up given the animation/live-action hybrid movie’s $80-million cost. “Megamind,” Paramount, $690,573, 1,025 locations, $674 average, $141,641,535, seven weeks. 16. Sales for the weekend’s top 12 films fell 1.7 percent to $127.7 million from a year earlier, according to Hollywood.com. This year’s domestic box-office sales total $10.1 billion, up 1.2 percent from a year earlier.

And in many ways, Hollywood hasn’t learned from this perfect marriage of game and film. At least, most of Hollywood. The weekend before Christmas is not the time when box-office hits are made, but it is when the early holiday flops are established. Among the trio of new movies that opened just ahead of the two most important moviegoing weeks of the year outside of summer, the big-budget sequel “Tron: Legacy” appears to have a solid chance at turning into a hit, while the kids’ cartoon adaptation “Yogi Bear” is a long shot, and the pricey adult dramedy “How Do You Know” is dead on arrival. Ticket sales fell for a sixth straight weekend, making it uncertain whether Hollywood will exceed last year’s record $10.6 billion in the U.S. and Canada. This year’s holiday films are up against a 2009 slate that included “Avatar,” the top-grossing film of all time, and “The Blind Side,” a surprise hit that generated $256 million in domestic sales, according to researcher Box Office Mojo. “We might actually barely exceed the $10.6 (billion), but it’s built on the back of higher ticket prices,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com’s box-office unit, said in an interview. “It will be a shallow victory.” “Tron: Legacy” continues the story of programmer Kevin Flynn, who has been trapped in a video game for 20 years. The Mark Wahlberg boxing story “The Fighter” raked in $12.2 million, while the psychological drama “Black Swan,” playing in fewer than half as many theaters as each of the other four movies, grossed $8.3 million. Disney’s “Tron: Legacy” is the biggest bet of the holiday season. It came in at No. 2 with $16.7 million, a few million dollars short of the expectations. Bailey said that gamers will be able to get quality time playing with all of the vehicles that are shown in the new film, as well as learn more about the back story of the key characters. On July 11, 1982, TRON opened to $4.8 million — light years behind the $13 million opening of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial . The Darren Aronofsky film, pirouetting into the No. 7 spot, jumped to 959 theaters this weekend with an impressive $8.3 million haul. (Consider that “Black Swan,” which cost just $13 million, already has a cumulative gross of $15.7 million in three weekends of limited release.

In good news for Disney, most moviegoers liked the film, giving it an average grade of B+, and they were willing to pay extra to see it in the best quality: 82% of ticket sales revenue came from theaters playing “Tron: Legacy” in 3-D and 24% was for digital or large-format Imax. “When you use new technology to make something that is more compelling for the consumer, then they want more of it. The film was nominated for six Golden Globe awards, including best film drama and best actor in a drama for Wahlberg. “The Tourist,” a thriller starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, was fifth with $8.7 million. If it does, “Tron: Legacy” could gross $200 million or more domestically and the same overseas.

Ticket sales fell for a sixth straight weekend, making it uncertain whether Hollywood will exceed last year’s record $10.6 billion in the U.S. and Canada. This year’s holiday films are up against a 2009 slate that included “Avatar,” the top-grossing film of all time, and “The Blind Side,” a surprise hit that generated $256 million in domestic sales, according to researcher Box Office Mojo. “We might actually barely exceed the $10.6 (billion), but it’s built on the back of higher ticket prices,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com’s box-office unit, said in an interview. “It will be a shallow victory.” “Tron: Legacy” continues the story of programmer Kevin Flynn, who has been trapped in a video game for 20 years. – First the good news. “TRON: Legacy” raked in some thoroughly respectable numbers opening weekend, pulling in $43.6 million. The film was nominated for six Golden Globe awards, including best film drama and best actor in a drama for Wahlberg. “The Tourist,” a thriller starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, was fifth with $8.7 million.

In addition, two low-budget films moved from limited to nationwide release with strong performances. The CGI-assisted, live-action romp “Yogi Bear” debuted in second place, although it lagged far behind “Tron.” The contemporary take on the beloved kids cartoon, which features voice-over performances from Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake as the mischievous partners in picnic-basket-snatching Yogi and Boo Boo, nabbed $16.7 million.

Legacy did $10.3 million of its business on just 234 IMAX screens. The film, which features Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis as rival ballerinas, expanded to 950 theaters from 18. Having the movie in 3D and in IMAX 3D would certainly help boost the grosses, but no one was sure as to by how much. Audiences shelled out $12.4 million to catch the latest installment in Hollywood’s adaptation of the classic C.S. On July 11, 1982, TRON opened to $4.8 million — light years behind the $13 million opening of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial . The Darren Aronofsky film, pirouetting into the No. 7 spot, jumped to 959 theaters this weekend with an impressive $8.3 million haul. (Consider that “Black Swan,” which cost just $13 million, already has a cumulative gross of $15.7 million in three weekends of limited release. In good news for Disney, most moviegoers liked the film, giving it an average grade of B+, and they were willing to pay extra to see it in the best quality: 82% of ticket sales revenue came from theaters playing “Tron: Legacy” in 3-D and 24% was for digital or large-format Imax.