Record Weekend at Box Office is Lead by Avatar and Sherlock Holmes

Box Office Actuals have come in for the record breaking Christmas weekend at the box office. We already wrote a full weekend box office report, since we like to keep you updated as quickly are possible. There you'll find a detailed analysis of how Avatar performed it its second weekend at the box office, how Sherlock Holmes did it its first weekend, along with how the rest of the top ten performed.

Here we'll just post the final grosses for the top ten at the box office, for this weekend, as well as a quick recap of what these new numbers mean. Also, note that we are working on getting a complete chart for you, that will include additional information.

When original box office estimates came in for Avatar's second weekend at the box office, it was thought that it declined -2.6%, which would have been a better-than-great showing for the movie. Now that the final figures have been released, Avatar declined even less than originally expected, losing only -1.8% for a second weekend gross of $75.617 million, a almost non-existent decline from its $77 million opening.

This is unheard of for a movie, whether it was released in December, or not. A most excellent, and, a most astounding performance, no matter how you look at it.

With this new weekend gross, Avatar claimed the Highest Grossing Second Weekend Ever, edging out The Dark Knight's second weekend gross of $75.16 million, by about $500,000.
Though really, when you look at theater averages, Avatar easily won, since The Dark Knight was playing at over 900 more locations than Avatar was in the same respective weekends.

Overall, this 2009 Christmas Weekend was the Highest Grossing Weekend at the box office in the history of recorded numbers, easily beating the previous record weekend, that was set in July, of 2008, when The Dark Knight, and Mama Mia opened.

This weekend's record breaking gross of $275+ million, was propelled by strong performances from Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Alvin and the Chipmunks 2, It's Complicated and other good grosses from holdovers.

Top Ten at the Box Office - Weekend Actuals - December 25-27, 2009

1. Avatar - $75.617 million - -1.8% - Total: $212.71 million
2. Sherlock Holmes - $62.39 million - New - Total: $62.39 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Seueakquel - $48.875 million - New - Total: $75.589 million
4. It's Complicated - $22.1 million - New - Total: $22.1 million
5. The Blind Side - $11.470 million  - +14.5% - Total: $184.187 million
6. Up in the Air - $11.275 million - +251.2% - Total: $24.03 million
7. The Princess and the Frog - $9.004 million  - -26.1% - Total: $63.679 million
8. Nine - $5.542 million  - +2,019.7% (Limited to Wide) - Total: $5.830 million
9. Did You Hear About the Morgans - $5.0 million - -24.4% - Total: $15.60 million
10. Invictus - $4.39 million - -3.8% - Total: $23.02 million

The main differences from the previous Christmas Weekend Estimates and Report are that Avatar's gross was a bit more, Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks 2, both had lesser grosses than previously reported. Also, Invictus was thought to rise 4%+, but instead declined about 4%.

Also, Check out one of out most recent posts - Avatar Box Office Gross Update, Its Worldwide Total is Jaw-Dropping.