Weekend Box Office: December 7-9

Courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1.  Skyfall - $11 million

2.  Rise of the Guardians - $10.5 million

3.  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - $9.2 million

4.  Lincoln - $9.1 million

5.  Life of Pi - $8.3 million

6.  Playing for Keeps - $6 million

7.  Wreck-It Ralph - $4.9 million

8.  Red Dawn - $4.2 million

9.  Flight - $3.1 million

10.  Killing Them Softly - $2.7 million

So what happens when the only thing opening in theaters this weekend is a Gerard Butler romantic comedy?  Everyone goes to see James Bond again.  In what was basically a quiet weekend at the box office, Skyfall pulled off the rare feat of returning to the top spot with $11 million.  With $918 million worldwide, it is now the highest-grossing film in Sony's history, and has a pretty good shot at becoming the first James Bond film to pass $1 billion worldwide.

Also climbing a spot this weekend was Rise of the Guardians, which finished second with $10.5 million.  It's definitely taking advantage of being one of the few family films in theaters at the moment, but with just $61 million after three weeks, the animated holiday tale has been a disappointment so far.

The Twilight finale, Breaking Dawn Part 2, fell to third place with $9.2 million.  The film has grossed $268 million domestically, and another $468 overseas.  Oscar hopefuls Lincoln and Life of Pi continue to play well, earning $9.1 million and $8.3 million, respectively.  The one new release this weekend, Gerard Butler's Playing for Keeps, bombed this weekend, earning only $6 million.

Next weekend, we return to Middle Earth when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in theaters.  Joining it will be the re-release of Monsters, Inc. in 3D, and another Oscar hopeful, Zero Dark Thirty.