Beowulf Hath Brought Low Ye Box Office

High prices and few choices don't help: Roger Ebert

(NEWSER) - News that movie theaters had lackluster revenue in 2011 didn’t surprise Roger Ebert. He ticks off a list of the reasons why at his blog , including the lack of an Avatar-like blockbuster and usual suspects like too-high prices for tickets and refreshments. But also:

• Distractions: Loud talkers and people using their cell phones (with their bright screens) to text are getting out of hand.

'Muppets' hit No. 2 with $42M

(NEWSER) - Breaking Dawn was busily sucking the life out of the box office for a second weekend, taking in another $62.3 million between Wednesday and today. That performance brings its total to $221.3 million, reports the LA Times. But Twilight wasn't the only draw at the box office, with The Muppets pulling in a hefty $42 million over the holiday weekend. Arthur Christmas took third place with $17 million; Hugo grabbed fourth with $15.4 million. More»

Twilight sequel easily beats Happy Feet Two

(NEWSER) - Bad reviews ? Ha! The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1 sunk its teeth into the weekend box office, raking in $139.5 million and notching the fifth-best domestic opening ever, the Los Angeles Times reports. (Its only financial failing: missing the $142.8 million opening record set by the series' second installment, New Moon.) The only other major release this weekend, Happy Feet Two, trudged along in second place with a mere $22 million. More»

But Brad Pitt flick still biggest-opening baseball movie ever

(NEWSER) - Moneyball may have scored a homerun with critics , but at the end of the weekend the only number that mattered was 3D, as Disney's souped-up re-release of its 17-year-old The Lion King topped the box office for the second weekend in a row. The Lion King earned another $22.1 million over the weekend, thanks to strong matinees and a rainy Friday, bringing its release revenues to $61.6 million. More»

Superhero trounces boy wizard at the box office

(NEWSER) - Just a week after the final Harry Potter movie smashed all kinds of records, Captain America unceremoniously unseated the boy wizard, reports the LA Times. The 3D comic book extravaganza raked in $65.8 million, while Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 took a dive to $48.1 million—which the Times notes is down 72% over last week's opening weekend juggernaut. Friends With Benefits was third, with $18.5 million, while Transformers grabbed $12 million and Horrible Bosses took in $11.7 million. More»