On A Hot Weekend, An Icy Box Office Leader

By Bill Wine

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - To no one's surprise, the only new wide release won the weekend box office battle.

Ice Age: Continental Drift, the fourth entry in the popular animated franchise, earned an estimated and impressive $46-million in its debut, giving it an uncontested first-place finish.

Last weekend's leader, The Amazing Spider-Man, took in another $35-million for a solid second-place showing.  Its cumulative total is now over the $200-million mark.

Holdovers Ted, Brave, and Magic Mike rounded out the top five with $22-million, $11-million, and $9–million, respectively.

On tap next weekend, a box office bonanza: the highly anticipated Batman sequel (and a surefire blockbuster) from director Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises.