UPDATE: Happy Feet takes top spot

(Source: boxofficemojo.com)

In a surprise twist, Warner Bros' Happy Feet won last weekend's box office wars, stealing the top spot from a revitalized Bond in the live-action Casino Royale.

The animated movie about a toe-tapping penguin topped last weekend's box office by a mere $2 million, taking $42,320,000 for its debut. That's $6 million less than DreamWorks/Aardman's Flushed Away's combined 3-week total, which means Happy Feet has handily won the November Animation showdown between it and Flushed Away. Happy Feet had gotten a surprising 80% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many reviews claiming the previews and trailers had ill-served the George Miller flick.

Also, IMAX reported that Happy Feet had garnered $2.4 million from their 79 theatres over the previous weekend. This makes Happy Feet the most lucrative animated debut in that chain's history. IMAX reps are already buzzed about next weekend's returns (the lucrative American Thanksgiving weekend), since there have already been "strong" advance ticket sales.

Happy Feet's success came at a considerable cost to Flushed Away's box office. That movie sank to the #5 spot on the chart, making $6,812,000 in its 3rd weekend. So far, Flushed Away has only taken in $48,803,000 in total box office, a lot less than its $149 million investment. I think the Great CG Animation Glut of 2006 is about to claim yet another victim.

UPDATE: Here is ye compleat list:

1) Happy Feet (W.B): $42,320,000 (NEW)

5) Flushed Away (DreamWorks/Aardman): $6,812,000 ($48,803,000 over 3 weeks)

28) Open Season (Sony Pictures Animation): $201,388 ($83,948,077 over 8 weeks)

33) The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D (B.V.): $140,675 ($8,343,762 over 5 weeks)

54) Everyone's Hero (Fox): $19,398 ($14,497,591 over 10 weeks)

87) Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss (Indic.): $2,340 ($169,045 over 4 weeks)

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