LOS
ANGELES, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A dancing penguin outran James Bond at North
American box office this weekend, as Warner Bros' animated "Happy Feet" beat the
latest installment of the 007 series, according to studio estimates released
here Sunday.
"Happy Feet," the animated flick about a tap-dancing
penguin, grossed an estimated 42.3 million dollars in its debuting weekend,
beating MGM's much-hyped "Casino Royale," to top the box office.
"Casino Royale," starring Bond newcomer Daniel Craig
as the famous British secret agent on his first mission, brought in about 40.6
million dollars, according to Los Angeles-based box office tracking firm
Exhibitor Relations.
But the race between the Antarctic animal and the MI6
agent were still too close to call, and analysts said the rankings of the two
films could change when final numbers are released Monday.
"'Happy Feet' is just ahead by a flipper. It's
unusual to have two movies this close, battling for that No. 1 position," said
Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations.
The reigning "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America
for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" slipped from last week's
first-place to third with 14.4 million. The politically incorrect mockumentary,
which chronicles the exploits of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen as a TV journalist
from Kazakhstan traveling across the United States, has grossed a total of 90.5
million dollars since it debuted three weeks ago.
"The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," starring Tim
Allen, fell two spots to fourth place with 8.2 million dollars, while "Flushed
Away," another animated feature, took in 6.8 million dollars, dropping two spots
to fifth place.
The top 12 films this weekend grossed an estimated
133.6 million dollars, down about 22 percent from the 171.9 million grossed over
the same weekend last year, which saw "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" open
with 133.6 million.
