Heading into the holidays Buena Vista’s animation climbed one place to the pinnacle of the North American charts on an estimated $31.6m for $134.3m. Inside Llewyn Davis arrived on a superb limited debut.

The family film is shaping up to be a holiday season smash after its platform release two weekends ago.

Overall box office for the top 12 dropped 55% against last weekend and gained 18% on the same period in 2012 when Skyfall entered its fifth weekend.

Meanwhile The Hunger Games: Catching Fire dropped to number two in its third session on $27m for $336.7m.

Relativity Media released the revenge drama Out Of The Furnace at number three on $5.3m from 2,101 sites in what was a lacklustre debut for the Appalachian-set tale starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck and Woody Harrelson.

Marvel Studios’ Thor: The Dark World is approaching $200m and ranks fourth on $193.6m after five weekends.

Fox 2000’s The Book Thief held firm at number seven in its fifth weekend and has reached $12.1m, while Philomena ranks ninth on $8.3m after three sessions through The Weinstein Company.

Dallas Buyers Club returned to the top 10 after climbing two places in the sixth session and stands at $12.4m.

CBS scored a sensational limited launch with Inside Llewyn Davis from the Coen Brothers on $401,000 from four for a $100,250 average. Oscar Isaac stars in the awards contender asn a down-trodden folk singer in 1961 New York.

12 Years A Slave ranks number 13 and has amassed $35m through Fox Searchlight after eight sessions.

Next weekend’s wide release is New Line/MGM/Warner Bros’ The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug starring Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen. Lionsgate releases Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas.

Estimated Top 10 North America Dec 6-8 2013
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date
1 (2) Frozen (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $31.6m $134.3m
2 (1) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lionsgate) Lionsgate International $27m $336.7m
3 (-) Out Of The Furnace (Relativity) Relativity International $5.3m $5.33m|
4 (3) Thor: The Dark World (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $4.7m $193.6m
5 (6) Delivery Man (Buena Vista-DreamWorks) WDSMPI $3.8m $24.8m
6 (5) Homefront (Open Road Films) Nu Image $3.4m $15.3m
7 (7) The Book Thief (Fox) Fox International $2.7m $12.1m
8 (4) The Best Man Holiday (Universal) UPI $2.7m $67.2m
9 (8) Philomena (The Weinstein Company) Pathé $2.3m $8.3m
10 (12) Dallas Buyers Club (Focus) Voltage Pictures $1.5m $12.4m

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