“Skyfall” (Sony) was a close second, taking in $17 million, for a four-week total of about $246 million. Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” (Disney) placed third, with ticket sales of $13.51 million; “Lincoln,” a leading Oscar contender, is turning into a runaway hit, at least as far as serious historical dramas go these days, taking in about $83.7 million over four weeks.
DreamWorks Animation’s struggling “Rise of the Guardians” (Paramount) was a whisker behind, taking in an estimated $13 million, for a two-week total of $48.9 million. Another Oscar contender, Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” (20th Century Fox), was fifth, selling about $12 million in tickets, for a two-week total of $48.4 million. The weekend included one notable flop: “Killing Them Softly,” a drama starring Brad Pitt and released by the Weinstein Company (with financing from the Oracle heiress Megan Ellison), arrived in seventh place, taking in about $7 million.
