Harry Potter keeps minting box office gold

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"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One" worked more magic at the North American box office over the weekend, firmly in the top spot despite a new long-haired rival, said industry figures released Sunday.

The latest Potter instalment took in an estimated 50.3 million dollars between Friday and Sunday, Exhibitor Relations said. That took the film's total US earnings above 220 million dollars as it continues to set records around the world.

But Potter just barely outdid Disney's new hairy animated hit "Tangled," which earned an impressive 49.1 million dollars for the same period, and 69 million over five days as the United States marked its Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Meanwhile Will Ferrell's super-villain comedy "Megamind" earned the third spot, netting 12.8 million dollars for the three-day stretch.

Stripping off in fourth place was "Burlesque," also in its premiere weekend. The musical extravaganza with Cher and Christina Aguilera brought in 11.8 million dollars.

"Unstoppable," starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine as two daring, blue-collar heroes trying to prevent a head-on collision with a runaway train full of hazardous materials, took fifth place with 11.7 million dollars in ticket sales.

The romantic comedy "Love and Other Drugs," starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal, had a solid first week out, taking sixth place with 9.8 million dollars. It was trailed by another strong premiere-week showing from "Faster," in seventh place with 8.7 million dollars.

Roadtrip comedy "Due Date," featuring oddball travel companions Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, came in eighth with 7.3 million dollars.

The crime drama "The Next Three Days" hit the number nine spot. The Russell Crowe film about a couple figuring out what to do after the wife is accused of murder earned 4.8 million dollars.

"Morning Glory," a romantic comedy starring Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams as co-hosts and a producer trying to revive a dying television morning show edged down to 10th place with 4.0 million dollars.

mdl/ao