The big budget always wins, and in this case 2012 took the title in a landslide. My dark horse, Pirate Radio, the other new release this weekend, came in at a paltry number eleven! This, my friends, is why I don’t bet the horses.
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | 2012 | Sony | $65,237,614 | – | 3,404 | – | $19,165 | $65,237,614 | $200 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | A Christmas Carol (2009) | BV | $22,308,913 | -25.8% | 3,683 | – | $6,057 | $63,272,757 | $200 | 2 |
| 3 | 12 | Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire | LGF | $5,874,628 | +213.7% | 174 | +156 | $33,762 | $8,699,180 | $10 | 2 |
| 4 | 3 | The Men Who Stare at Goats | Over. | $5,861,753 | -53.9% | 2,453 | +10 | $2,390 | $23,038,050 | $25 | 2 |
| 5 | 2 | Michael Jackson’s This Is It | Sony | $5,078,920 | -61.4% | 3,037 | -444 | $1,672 | $67,190,296 | – | 3 |
| 6 | 4 | The Fourth Kind | Uni. | $4,605,365 | -62.3% | 2,530 | +3 | $1,820 | $20,449,660 | – | 2 |
| 7 | 7 | Couples Retreat | Uni. | $4,164,940 | -32.0% | 2,509 | -348 | $1,660 | $102,045,330 | $70 | 6 |
| 8 | 5 | Paranormal Activity | Par. | $4,043,417 | -51.2% | 2,712 | +154 | $1,491 | $103,690,184 | $0.015 | 8 |
| 9 | 8 | Law Abiding Citizen | Over. | $3,796,327 | -36.8% | 2,071 | -403 | $1,833 | $67,190,452 | $50 | 5 |
| 10 | 6 | The Box | WB | $3,158,368 | -58.3% | 2,635 | – | $1,199 | $13,179,622 | $30 | 2 |
| 11 | N | Pirate Radio | Focus | $2,904,380 | – | 882 | – | $3,293 | $2,904,380 | $50 | 1 |
| 12 | 9 | Where the Wild Things Are | WB | $2,418,140 | -42.1% | 2,090 | -666 | $1,157 | $73,440,413 | $100 | 5 |
Source: BoxOfficeMojo.com