‘Marley’ bites into Christmas day box office

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Christmas has gone to the dogs ... at least at the cineplex.

First-day box office estimates are in, and it looks like in the battle of Jennifer Aniston versus ex-husband Brad Pitt, Aniston’s record-breaking ‘Marley & Me’ wins by a puppy’s tail.

The Owen Wilson-Aniston vehicle took in $14.6 million (A Christmas Day record), while award-nomination darling ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ followed in second with $11.7 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Slashfilm.com estimates ‘Marley & Me’s’ holiday weekend haul to be in the ballpark of $54 million while ‘Button’ is expected to ring up $45 million in ticket sales. Third-place finisher ‘Bedtime Stories’ may have split some of Adam Sandler’s male audience with Tom Cruise’s fourth-place ‘Valkyrie.’ The Christmas Day top 10 estimates are:

1. MARLEY AND ME
Fox - playing on 3,480 screens
$14,600,000

2. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Paramount - 2,988
$11,700,000

3. BEDTIME STORIES
Buena Vista - 3,681
$10,325,000

4. VALKYRIE
United Artists - 2,711
$8,350,000

5. YES MAN
Warner Bros. - 3,434
$5,900,000

6. SEVEN POUNDS
Sony / Columbia - 2,758
$4,750,000

7. THE SPIRIT
Lionsgate - 2,509
$3,825,000

8. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (2008)
Fox - 2,402
$2,685,000

9. FOUR CHRISTMASES
Warner Bros. (New Line) - 2,510
$2,280,000

10. THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
Universal - 3,104
$1,987,000

Source: BoxOfficeMojo.com

-- Jevon Phillips

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