Updated 8:58 a.m. PT Saturday
"Breaking Dawn" remained at the top of the box office for the third week in a row, taking in an estimated $5.5 million on Friday.
The fourth in Summit's "Twilight" series is on track to gross $16.5 million for the weekend, according to studio estimates.
Its competition wasn't even close: Disney's "The Muppets" took in about $2.7 million Friday and is tracking to gross a soft $11.3 million in its second week in release. The studio had expected it would take in about $15 million for the weekend.
GK Films/Paramount's "Hugo," meanwhile, expanded from 1,277 to 1,840 locations and took in about $2 million Friday. Its total for the weekend is estimated to be around $7.2 million.
And Sony/Aardman's "Arthur Christmas" got $1.65 million Friday and is looking at a weekend of about $7 million.
Earlier:
With no new films opening wide on what is typically the slowest moviegoing weekend of the year, the one after Thanksgiving, Disney's "The Muppets" is expected to finish No. 1 at the domestic box office.
Entering its second weekend, "The Muppets" has already grossed $44.4 million. The PG reboot is predicted to take in around $20 million this weekend.
Expected to finish a close second in its third weekend, Summit Entertainment's "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" passed the $500 million mark at the global box office just this past week. It should challenge "The Muppets" for the No. 1 spot this time around.
Meanwhile, the GK Films/Paramount family movie "Hugo" is expanding from 1,277 locations to around 1,800 theaters, but is only expected to bring in around $8 million. The PG-rated 3D film, directed by Martin Scorsese and produced at a cost of more than $150 million, grossed just $15.3 million over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Also marketing a PG movie that had a slow start over the holiday, Sony and Aardman are hoping for an uptick for "Arthur Christmas" after it opened up to just $16.3 million.
With no movies entering wide release, much of the attention at this weekend's box office will be on the pre-Oscar arthouse circuit.
Also read: Review: Even With All That Sex, 'Shame' Will Leave You Unsatisfied
And the indie film with the biggest buzz is Fox Searchlight's "Shame," Steve McQueen's NC-17-rated movie about sexual addiction. Starring Michael Fassbender, "Shame" opens Friday in 10 theaters in the U.S. and one in Canada.
Fassbender's performance -- and nudity -- have generated a great deal of press for the film. And reviews have been strong, with "Shame" registering an 82 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes as of late-afternoon Thursday.
"With all the publicity that we've received, I think it's going to be terrific," said Sheila DeLoach, executive VP of distribution at Fox Searchlight.
