naysayers beware....


LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe snatched the box office crown from King Kong during another fierce four-day holiday battle for the top spot.

Tilda Swinton plays the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia.
By Walt Disney Pictures/Walden

Old acquaintances met again: Less than $2 million has separated Kong and Narnia the past two weekends.

"We edged out Kong. It's been neck-and-neck," Buena Vista's Dennis Rice said Monday. "These are two great movies in the marketplace that are doing great business."

Narnia took in an estimated $32.8 million during the Friday-through-Monday period, nudging Universal's King Kong out of the No. 1 spot and into second with a New Year's weekend take of $31.6 million.

"This is a great way to start the new year. We have an up weekend — 5% over the last New Year's weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. "Propelled by these two blockbusters, it's really moving the box office."

King Kong was No. 1 during the Christmas holiday with a four-day turnstile take of $33.3 million and Narnia was No. 2 with $31.7 million.

Narnia passed the benchmark $200 million North American box office tally on Friday and King Kong was expected to pass the $400 million worldwide mark sometime Monday.

Fun With Dick and Jane was in third place with $21 million, followed in fourth by Cheaper by the Dozen 2 with $19.3 million, a 26% jump over the previous weekend. Jennifer Aniston's Rumor Has It was fifth with $11.6 million.

The Family Stone was sixth with $10.2 million, Memoirs of a Geisha was seventh with $10 million and The Ringer was eighth with $8 million. Ninth place was held by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, with $7.5 million. It has taken in $277 million in seven weeks of release.

Steven Spielberg's Munich rounded out the Top 10 with $6.1 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, $32.8 million.

2. King Kong, $31.6 million.

3. Fun With Dick and Jane, $21 million.

4. Cheaper by the Dozen 2, $19.3 million.

5. Rumor Has It, $11.6 million.

6. The Family Stone, $10.2 million.

7. Memoirs of a Geisha, $10 million.

8. The Ringer, $8 million.

9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, $7.5 million.

10. Munich, $6.1 million.