007 SHOCK: 'Skyfall' Tops Twilight For #1; Gerard Butler's 'Playing For Keeps' Bombs

SATURDAY 7:45 AM UPDATE: Believe it or not considering this spy has been on film since 1962, Eon Productions/MGM/Sony Pictures' most successful 007 starrer Skyfall rose to #1 in Week 5 to knock off Summit Entertainment's Breaking Dawn Part 2 in Week 4 at Friday's domestic box office. The 23rd James Bond actioner made $3.1M for maybe as high as $11M for the weekend and $261.6M domestic cume through Sunday. The Twilight Saga finale ' always frontloaded ' earned $2.7M Friday for $8.7M weekend and $268.5M cume to end up #3 behind DreamWorks Animation's disappointing Rise Of The Guardians in Week 3. The only wide release film this weekend is the treacly Millenium's Playing For Keeps which should have run on Lifetime instead of in 2,837 theaters from FilmDistrict which did not produce but only bought the U.S. distribution rights. (Why?) The melodrama debuted to only $2.1M Friday, prompting LA radio host Peter Tilden to snark that box office stars should at least be able to open their movies to numbers higher than their home prices. Ouch! Gerard Butler (not to mention costars Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones) needs to rethink his sinking career with this bomb expected to gross only $6.0M this weekend for at best #6th place. What's bizarre here is that this pic is from the director of the hugely successful The Pursuit Of Happiness, Gabriele Muccino who was handpicked by Will Smith. But that actor put people in seats unlike Butler whose huge hit 300 was back in 2007. His star turns in The Ugly Truth and Law Abiding Citizen also fared passably though Gamer and P.S. I Love You both tanked. But this new one in far more theaters may only slightly outdo what his October flop Chasing Mavericks did.

Here's the Top Ten based on Friday estimates:

1. Skyfall (Eon/MGM/Sony) Week 5 [Runs 3,401] PG13
Friday $3.1M, Weekend $11.0M, Cume $261.6M

2. Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Summit/Lionsgate) Week 4 [Runs 3,646] PG13
Friday $2.7M, Weekend $8.7M, Cume $268.3M

3. Lincoln (DreamWorks/Fox/Disney) Week 5 [Runs 2,014] PG13
Friday $2.5M, Weekend $8.4M, Cume $96.7M

4. Rise Of The Guardian (DWAnim/Par) Week 3 [Runs 3,639] PG
Friday $2.2M, Weekend $10.6M, Cume $61.2M

5. Life Of Pi (Fox) Week 3 [Runs 2,946] PG
Friday $2.2M, Weekend $8.2M, Cume $60.8M

6. Playing For Keeps (Millenium/FilmDistrict) NEW [Runs 2,837] PG13
Friday $2.1M, Weekend $6.0M

7. Red Dawn (MGM/FilmDistrict) Week 3 [Runs 2,754] PG13
Friday $1.3M, Weekend $4.1M, Cume $37.1M

8. Wreck-It Ralph (Disney) Week 6 [Runs 2,746] PG
Friday $1.1M, Weekend $4.6M, Cume $164.2M

9. Flight (Paramount) Week 6 [Runs 2,431] R
Friday $910K, Weekend $3.1M, Cume $86.1M

10. Killing Them Softly (Annapurna/Weinstein) Week 2 [Runs 2,424] R
Friday $890K (-65%), Weekend $2.9M, Cume $11.9M

For more estimates listed by title, see box office results here...

Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.

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