"Life Of Pi" & "Skyfall" repeat first

Writer: Elaine Ewe

Pi trapped together on the lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker in "Life Of Pi".

12 Dec – Last weekend (6 – 9 December) can be said to be the calm before the storm that is the release of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" with no major film releases, leaving Ang Lee's "Life Of Pi" to repeat first place. Consequently, "Wreck-It Ralph" eased into second place from third while "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" dropped to third in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, in U.S., "Playing for Keeps" is the only movie brave enough to open the week before Peter Jackson's fantasy epic, but tanked, which allowed box office sensation "Skyfall" to move back in to first place in its fifth outing. The film's total gross is currently US$ 261.4 million, and may very well pass "The Amazing Spider-Man" as Sony's highest-grossing movie in over five years. In second place is "Rise Of The Guardians", followed by "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" in third place.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) celebrating his box office success with a vodka martini.

"Life Of Pi" also repeated first place in Singapore, followed by the late newcomer, "Hotel Transylvania". Rounding up the top three is "Rise Of The Guardians", in third place for the second time.

New movies that opened over the week in Malaysia are "Adutha Kattam", "Triad", "Strawberi Cinta", "My Sassy Hubby", "Alex Cross", "Dracula" and "Khiladi 786".

New movies that opened over the week in Singapore are "Tales Of Night Season", "3AM", "Silent Hill: Revelation", "SMTown Live In Tokyo Special Edition 3D", "When Wolf Falls In Love With Sheep", "Back To 1942" and "Khiladi 786".