Disney's big holiday release, ENCHANTED (with vfx by Tippett Studio, CIS Hollywood, Reel FX and Weta Digital, as well as 2D animation by Baxter Studio) topped the Thanksgiving five-day holiday box ended Nov. 25 with an estimated opening of $50M. Sony's THIS CHRISTMAS bowed in second with $27.1M. Paramount's BEOWULF (with vfx & animation from Sony Pictures Imageworks) slipped to third with $23.3M and a two-week cume of $56.3M. Fox's HITMAN debuted in fourth with $21M. BEE MOVIE, from Paramount/DreamWorks, followed in fifth with $15.9M raising its total to $112M. Warner Bros.' FRED CLAUS (with vfx from MPC, Cinesite, Peerless Camera, Rainmaker UK, among others) claimed the sixth spot with $15.1M and a total of $53M. Warner Bros.' AUGUST RUSH debuted in seventh with $13.3M. THE MIST (with vfx from Café FX and Digital Dream) opened in eighth with $13M. Universal's AMERICAN GANGSTER (with vfx by Gray Matter FX and Invisible Effects) was the ninth place finisher with $12.7M for a cume of $115.7M. Miramax's NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN came in 10th with $11M, bringing its total to $16.6M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
