‘Christmas Carol’ leads North American box office

Source: Yahoo!



Yahoo! - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - If it’s the second weekend in November, it must be Christmas in Hollywood.

Walt Disney Co’s high-tech adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” topped the North American box office on Sunday with lower-than-expected ticket sales of $31 million.

For moviegoers in the mood for darker material, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” opened at No. 13 after earning a hefty $1.8 million in just four cities. Lionsgate’s acclaimed tale of a young, black, overweight, illiterate incest survivor will expand nationally on November 20.

Both movies overshadowed new releases featuring such big names as George Clooney and Cameron Diaz. Clooney’s military comedy “The Men Who Stare At Goats” opened at No. 3 with a solid $13.3 million. “The Box,” a thriller starring Diaz, opened at No. 6 with just $7.9 million. Also new was the alien-abduction thriller “The Fourth Kind” at No. 4 with $12.5 million.

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