For the third consecutive weekend, the top three remained the same, as the newcomers failed to impress yet again. However, the gaps among the top three have been narrowing considerably. The weekend after Thanksgiving is traditionally weak, with few newcomers, and even the holdovers getting hit by some hefty falls.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

I’m too lazy to find another poster, so here’s this one for the second week in a row.

The Twilight franchise spends its third consecutive on top, although its rate of decline is at once predictable and still alarming. Down 60%, Edward and company pulled in another $17.4 million. That’s almost two million more dollars than New Moon made in its third weekend, so Breaking Dawn Part 2 is actually making up ground now, and it seems like it has a shot at a final gross in the neighborhood of $290 million, which would make it the second highest grossing in the franchise behind Eclipse.

Just $400,000 outside of the number one spot, we have Skyfall. Given how weak next week’s one opener (Playing for Keeps) is bound to be, I think Skyfall will reclaim the top spot after three whole weeks at the runner up. Anyway, Bond made an additional $17 million this weekend, lifting its sum to $246 million. I still think it’s got an outside shot at $300 million, and I could also see it outgrossing Breaking Dawn Part 2, which would be a tremendous triumph for actually quality films.

Even Lincoln isn’t immune to the post-Thanksgiving hangover, though it fares better than most. Dropping 47% to $13.5 million, the Oscar contender has raised its total to $84 million. With a well-timed expansion around Christmas time, this could realistically be a $150 million grosser.

Rise of the Guardians avoided complete catastrophe by showing the best hold in the top, 43%, but the news still isn’t great. $13.5 million this weekend gives it a running total of $49 million total, which is where I thought it would last weekend. I doubt this film will still be relevant enough a few weeks from now to get a boost from Christmas, unless the studio goes to the trouble of adding back theatres at that point.

Life of Pi dropped 46% to an even $12 million. With a $48 million total now, this is still exceeding expectations, even if it’s a long, long road to becoming profitable. Wreck-It Ralph gets hit hard, dropping 58%, which is understandable after its very good hold last weekend. Another $7 million lifts it to $158 million in total.

Finally, down in seventh place, we have the top finishing newcomer, Killing Them Softly. The Brad Pitt flick debuted to just $7 million. I’m not sure if it was poor marketing or the dark subject matter that doesn’t particularly fit this time of year. Whatever it was, this is a failure and will probably disappear soon (its Cinemascore was an outright F. Yes, an F.)

Red Dawn, which I saw Friday night (it was terrible, but entertaining), dropped 54% to $6.6 million. A $31.3 million total really isn’t too bad, considering that this film sat in developmental hell for almost three years. And, also, you know, the fact that it was terrible. Anyway, ninth place goes to Flight, down to $4.5 million. The Denzel Washington flick dropped 46%. With $81.5 million now, it’s looking to be one of Washington’s most successful films outside of American Gangster and Safe House.

Finally, in tenth is some generic horror movie called The Collection. This is apparently a sequel to a film I’ve never heard of, The Collector, which grossed just $7.7 million back in 2009. How on earth that warrants a sequel I will never know. Anyway, the sequel managed just $3.4 million and will quickly be forgotten. At least, I hope. You never know if the studio will come out with “Collected” or “Collecting” or “Collects” or take after a certain other franchise, just drop the articles and go with “Collection.” Did I kill that joke? Okay, I’m done now.

All that’s on tap for next weekend is a Gerard Butler romantic comedy, Playing for Keeps. So….I don’t know, $5 million? It really can’t do any worse than Chasing Mavericks. That said, it leaves the door wide open for Skyfall to reclaim the top spot in its fifth weekend. That is, before The Hobbit arrives and tramples everything in its path.