“Sherlock Holmes” parlayed a record Christmas Day gross into a box office victory over holdover contender “Avatar.”
Day one of “Holmes” put $24.9 million on the books, enough to top the $23.5 million for the still-strong “Avatar.” “Avatar”‘s tally now sits at $160.8 million.
Elsewhere, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” continued its strong but not overwhelming performance with another $14.5 million on Friday. Since opening Wednesday, “Alvin” has grossed $41.4 million.
“It’s Complicated,” a Christmas Day release, opened to a sturdy $7.1 million Friday, edging the $3.6 million for “Up in the Air” (which began its expanded run Wednesday) and $3.4 million for “The Blind Side.”
Golden Globes buzz meanwhile meant little for “Nine,” as the film, which moved into 1400 theatres, earned just shy of $2 million on Friday. It placed seventh.