Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
David Yates' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince stormed to the top of the North American box office this weekend with a solid $79.4 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Since its opening Wednesday, the sixth installment in the popular series has collected a stunning $159.6 million at 4,325 locations. Daniel Radcliffe returns as Harry Potter, who explores the dark past of Voldemort while the forces of the Dark Lord create further terror at Hogwarts and in the world of muggles.
At a distant No. 2, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs picked up $17.7 million, reaching a domestic total of $152 million after three weeks.
Following in third place with $13.7 million was Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, which brought its total haul to $363.8 million.
Last week's box-office winner, Brüno, slipped to fourth place, earning $8.3 million for a cumulative gross of $49.8 million. The Larry Charles-directed comedy stars Sacha Baron Cohen as a gay Austrian fashionista trying to become a star in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Todd Phillips' The Hangover pulled in another $8.3 million at No. 5, bringing its cume to $235.8 after a superb seven-week run. The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds (above), followed closely at No. 6 with a weekend gross of $8.2 million and a domestic total of $128 million.
Michael Mann's Public Enemies slipped to No. 7, generating $7.5 million for a total gross of $79.4 million after three weeks in release. Staying put at No. 8 with $3.1 million was Pixar's Up, which reached a cume of $279.5 million.
At the bottom of the top 10, My Sister's Keeper took home $2.8 million in ninth place for a total of $41.5 million, while I Love You, Beth Cooper finished tenth with $2.6 million for a domestic total of $10.2 million.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)