Happy Feet Tapping Its Way to No. 1 BO Record

Warner Bros.' HAPPY FEET (the first 3D-animated feature from Animal Logic) is on its way to setting a new record for CG-animated features, as it holds its No. 1 position for three consecutive weeks, as it maintained its slim lead over Sony's CASINO ROYALE throughout the period ended Dec. 3, 2006. The last CG-animated films to lead domestic box office three weekends straight were DreamWork's 2004 films, SHARK TALE (2004) and SHREK 2. HAPPY FEET collected $17.5M to up its three-week total to $121.5M.

The 21st Bond movie, with vfx by Peerless Camera, grabbed $15M to run its cume to $115M. Holding in third place was Buena Vista's DÉJÀ VU (with vfx from Asylum Visual Effects), capturing another $10.9M for a two-week take of $$44M. Debuting in fourth place was New Line’s THE NATIVITY STORY (vfx by TVT-Postproduction, Hammerhead, Studio C, Frantic Films, Digital Dream, Digital Domain and yU) with a disappointing $7.8M. Fox's DECK THE HALLS slipped to fifth with $6.6M and a two-week cume of $25M.

Buena Vista's THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE (vfx from Tippett Studio and Furious FX) held at sixth with $4.9M for a cume of $73M. Seventh place belonged to Fox's BORAT, with $4.7 for a cume of $116.2. Debuting in eighth place was Fox Atomic’s TURISTAS, with $3.6M while Sony's STRANGER THAN FICTION (with vfx from Intelligent Creatures, Double Negative, Digital Dimension and Mokko Studio, among others) dropped to ninth place with $3.4M and $36.9M. MGM's latest installment in the "Van Wilder" teen comedy series, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VAN WILDER: RISE OF THE TAJ, barely made the top 10, grabbing $2.3M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.