U.S Box Office Report - 27th - 29th January 2012

1. The Grey - $20M - $20M
2. Underworld: Awakening - $12.5M - $45.1M
3. One For the Money - $11.7M - $11.7M
4. Red Tails - $10.4M - $33.7M
5. Man on a Ledge - $8.2M - $8.2M
6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - $ 7.1M - $21.1M
7. The Descendants - $6.5M - $58.8M
8. Contraband - $6.5M - $56.4M
9. Beauty and the Beast 3D - $5.3M - $41.4M
10. Haywire - $4M - $15.2M

This week brings us three new films, one based on a successful series of books, and two action dramas - both of which will be fighting for similar audiences. We've also got the second frames for Underworld: Awakenings and Red Tails, while Oscar hopeful The Descendants expands into 1,900 locations.

U.S Box Office Report - 20th - 22nd January 2012

1. Underworld: Awakening - $25.4M -$25.4M
2. Red Tails - $19.1M -19.1M
3. Contraband - $12.2M - $46.1M
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - $10.5M - $11.1M -
5. Haywire - $9M - $9M
6. Beauty and the Beast 3D - $8.5M - $33.3M
7. Joyful Noise - $6M - $21.9M
8. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - $5.5M - $197.3M
9. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - $4.8M - $178.6M
10. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - $3.75M - $94.7M

After the three new releases last frame, things step up again with four new films being thrown into the mix, along with the critically lauded (and Golden Globe winning) The Artist breaking out into 700+ locations. Next weekend there'll be another three films entering the fray, followed by another three the week after.

U.S Box Office Report - 13th - 15th January 2012

1. Contraband - $24.1M - $24.1M
2. Beauty and the Beast 3D - $18.4M - $18.4M
3. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - $11.5M - $186.7M
4. Joyful Noise - $11.3M - $11.3M
5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - $8.4M - $170M
6. The Devil Inside - $7.9M - $46.2M
7. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - $6.8M - $87.9M
8. Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - $5.8M - $118.7M
9. War Horse - $5.6M - $65.7M
10. The Iron Lady - $5.3M - $5.9M

It's the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in the US, which generally means a stronger Sunday and Monday haul than on a normal weekend. Three new releases enter the fray this frame, along with the expanding Iron Lady. We've got an action flick, a family re-release and a feel good drama. There's also the second frame of The Devil Inside, which impressed last weekend with its $32M+ haul.

U.S Box Office Report - 6th - 8th January 2012

1. The Devil Inside - $34.5M - $34.5M
2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - $20.5M - $170.2M
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - $14.1M - $157.4M
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - $11.4M - $76.8M
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - $9.5M -$111.6M
6. War Horse - $8.6M - $56.8M
7. We Bought a Zoo - $8.4M - $56.4M
8. The Adventures of Tintin - $6.6M - $61.8M
9. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - $5.3M - $9.9M
10. New Year's Eve $3.2M - $52M

While everyone recovers from Christmas and New Year, Hollywood keeps things low key, at least for one more week. But rest assured, this is just a temporary measure as January has ten major releases lined up, with Contraband, Beauty & The Beast 3D and Joyful Noise all due next Friday. But this week we've only one new release, The Devil Inside, while the well received Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy expands into 800+ locations. Still a force to be reckoned with is the fourth Mission: Impossible film and the second Sherlock film, A Game of Shadows.

U.S Box Office Report - 30th Dec - 1st January 2012

1. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - $31.6M - $134.5M
2. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows- $22M - $132.1M
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - $18.2M - $94.5M
4. War Horse - $16.9M - $42.9M
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - $16.3M - $57.1M
6. We Bought a Zoo - $14.3M - $41.7M
7. The Adventures of Tintin - $12.2M - $48M
8. New Year's Eve - $6.7M - $46.3M
9. The Darkest Hour - $4.3M - $13.2M
10. The Descendants - $3.6M - $39.6M

Another shorter report this weekend due to the time taken to write the huge box office review of 2011 (link below if you've not had chance to skim/read it yet). The time between Christmas and New Years can be a bumper one for the right films. This year is no different, especially for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, which has had a number of very strong days - in fact, according to Box Office Prophets, the film has had at least five days bigger than the day it expanded into wide release. This weekend it managed to add another $31M, which pushed it passed what M:I3 made in its entire theatrical run. With a few more good weekends, it could well become the biggest film of the series (currently that stands with part 2's $215M finish). Furthermore, Ghost Protocol is set to cross the $200M mark on the international market this weekend. Tom Cruise, it would seem, is back, thanks in part to sterling work from director Brad Bird.