Australian Sports Entertainment

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Aussie Millions At Crown Casino, Melbourne: Phil Ivey Wins 2012 Aussie Millions $250,000 Super High Roller


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James Packer’s Crown Casino continues to host the annual Aussie Millions Poker Championships. Here's the latest on one of the world's most prestigious poker tournaments.

The 2012 Aussie Millions $250,000 Super High Roller commenced on Saturday and went till the wee hours of the morning on Sunday.

Phil Ivey snatched the $2,000,000 first-place prize after defeating Patrik Antonius heads up.

The last live tourney Ivey showed for was back in November for the APPT Macau, but there was no win back then.

First, he placed 12th in the Main Event for $100,000, and then went on to get the largest score of his career by winning the Super High Roller.

The event attracted 16 players, and they all had to buy in with 6 figures - no misprint. The top three spots were set to be paid and a bubble of $800,000.

Among the stars taking part in the event were last year's champion Erik Seidel, last year's runner-up Sam Trickett, Tom Dwan, Jason Mercier, John Juanda and Sorel Mizzi. In addition, the event had a handful of businessmen including Richard Yong, Paul Phua and Winfred Yu.

The first player eliminated was Dwan, who went down at the hands of Gus Hansen. After the elimination of Nick Wong, Seidel busted during Level 5. He exited thanks to $100,000 Challenge winner Dan Smith after his pocket eights couldn't overcome Smith's jacks.

After Yu got out in sixth place and Mizzi in fifth, the largest bubble of the year was set to take place. The two players joining Ivey and Antonius were Daniel Negreanu and Gus Hansen. From that bunch, the only man not doing so well was Negreanu, who turned out to be the bubble boy.

On his final hand, Negreanu was all in from the big blind with the during the 5,000/50,000/5,000 level for around 750,000 after Antonius raised to 100,000 from the button. Antonius called holding two jacks and was able to hold up as the board ran out .

Hansen was the next to go down, collecting $800,000 for his finish after getting all in on the flop with the against Ivey's. Ivey built to full house and then the river completed the board.

When heads-up play began, Ivey held a slight lead with 2.2 million in chips to Antonius' 1.8 million. He won a big pot about 45 minutes into the match to extend his lead to 7:1 before the final hand came up.

Antonius was eliminated in second place. For his runner-up finish, Antonius snatched $1,200,000.

With his win, Ivey leaps over Negreanu into second place on the all-time money list. Even with his long absence from tournaments, Ivey performed awesomely at Aussie Millions. Many think Ivey is the greatest player in the world.

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Australia Day 2012 At Bondi Beach, Sydney - Havaianas Thong Challenge - 26th January 2012

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About 120,000 Australians enjoyed much of their Australia Day at Bondi Beach today, with over 1000 purchasing giant Havaianas thongs.

The overcast conditions prevented the participants from breaking last years world record of 2068 giant inflatable Havaianas in a line but there was no shortage of enthusiam.

North Bondi foundation nipper Paul Mangioni and current nipper Duke Wieland didn't let the wet weather and muggy conditions stop them from having a go.

Bondi Beach, Bronte, and Tamarama beaches and parks were all alcohol-free zones, in a preventive measure to stop any trouble before it started - thong bearer or not.

This years Havaianas Thong Challenge was a little different - From the beach to the backyard was the pitch.

The thong challenge organisers are keen to see your photos from the beach with their thong and photos can be submitted via their Havaianas Australia Facebook.

2012 Beach activities included:

Havaianas Paddle Challenge (Paddling Race)
Havaianas Dash For Thongs (Beach Flags)
Giant Havaianas Relay (Running Race)

Most folks were happy just to enjoy a swim and have a bit of a sun bake, which the organisers were their to make a dollar and garner publicity.

Having a go is the Aussie way, so well done to everyone for spending some time at beautiful Bondi Beach today.

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Hulk Hogan Pro Wrestling God Tours Casinos; Sports Entertainment News Update, by Greg Tingle

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From Bondi Beach, Australia to Japan, Canada, the USA - most of the world knows of Hulk Hogan.

Who can forget the Hulk-A-Mania Australian tour from a few years ago where he feuded with long time rival Ric Flair, and how about the wrestling angle at the then Star City Casino (now The Star), where it appeared at first that Hogan and Flair went at it for real when Flair implied he "had" Hogan's wife "Jennifer", before Hulk did! Now, that would start a fight and boy did the blood flow. The action was so hot that Seven News decided to purchase the video camera footage from the Media Man agency for a considerable sum.

The red did turn to green, as the old wrestling kayfabe saying goes, but not anywhere near as much as the Australian promoter or Hogan would have prefered.

The arena numbers in Australia were on the downside so much that it was largely responsible for TNA Wrestling deciding not to to ahead with an Australian tour.

The only American (or actually global) pro wrestling - sports entertainment company that he since graced Australian shores is the one and only WWE, headed up by promoter genius Vince McMahon. Once in a while Hogan teases a return to the WWE, and the two do have some line of communication. Take note that McMahon has old Hogan rival Flair getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame again (with the other 3 Four Horseman members) the night before WrestleMania, so anything can and does still happen in the WWE. Read up on other recent Media Man WWE news for more on that matter.

This writer would like to see Hogan and Flair both become official WWE spokespersons at some point, but if its to be - they need to make the move soon. Father time is ticking away.

Pro wrestling cousin of sorts, UFC from the MMA world is about to hit Sydney, Australia for a third time, but it ain't wrestling. Note, Brock Lensnar from the UFC and pro wrestling world, has left the UFC recently suffering a loss at the hands of Alistair Overeem at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA.

Hardcore pro wrestling fans of the WWF and ECK ilk will likely know this bit of trivia. It was Lesnar that "injured" Hogan's back in 2002 which was the official reason that The Hulk didn't visit down under back then. The back story is that Hogan and McMahon couldn't come to business terms. What's left to say but that's the pro wrestling industry.

Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan was at Speaking Rock Casino and Entertainment Center last week.

Hogan was there for the Micro Championship Wrestling event held at the venue.

Hogan was accompanied by the Nasty Boys, Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, as well as Ed Leslie, better known as Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, the former WWF Tag Team Champion (having held the title with wrestling legend Greg "The Hammer" Valentine).

Micro Championship Wrestling has a show promoted by Hogan on TruTV. The show, which screens as midget wrestling which has been up and running since August. Note we called them midgets, not dwarfs, so haters lay off ok. Some of the wrestlers also like to be called "little people". Whatever, they are full of excitement, talent and fun, and don't mind sharing it with the world.

Australia's Foxtel doesn't currently get TruTV, so we can't enjoy Hogan's midget wrestling show on the box at this stage, but we're hopeful time will change that. Foxtel is going to soon get a new Factual channel, so there's hope yet wrestling fans.

Hogan is the most recognizable figure in the history of professional wrestling from his success in the business since the 1980s. Hogan's also had many of movies and a host of other high profile shows and projects. Hogan's star power even ecliped "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Gorgeous George (Wagner) and Bruno Sammartino (for you old school wrestling fans out there).

Hogan enjoyed high level feuds with the likes of Andre the Giant, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Paul "Mr Wonderful" Orndorff, King Kong Bundy, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, "The Magnificent" Don Muraco, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

On the big screen Hogan has starred in "No Holds Barred," "Suburban Commando" and "Mr. Nanny." He has also made appearances in Rocky III and Walker, Texas Ranger. One can argue that current WWE superstars, John Cena, "The Rock" and Steve Austin took off where Hogan finished as far as mixing wrestling and movies. Roddy Piper is widely regarded as the most talented actor that pro wrestling ever produced. From time to time Piper does his famous "Pipers Pit" talk show segment for the WWE as well as helping out a few other smaller wrestling promotions.

Hogan even had his own reality TV show called "Hogan Knows Best.", and it wasn't long before daughter Brooke, did her own "Brooke Knows Best" show.

Hogan became a household name while in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known as WWE, which enjoyed a live event in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Sunday at the Pan American Centre.

He is currently signed to the Impact Wrestling - Total Nonstop Action wrestling promotion and has a range of business projects on the go including in the TV, gaming, casino and internet b2b sectors.

Recently, Hogan has made headlines on celebrity websites for his divorce, his son Nick's car crash, daughter Brooke's music career and the pending removal of his world famous moustache (to satisfy some Hollywood movie producers).

Other

Ric Flair is almost as famous as long time rival Hulk Hogan, who along with Flair is currently under contract to Impact Wrestling. Most would argue that Flair is one of the greatest pro wrestlers in history, while Hogan has earned more income from wrestling and wrestling related activities than just about anyone else.

* The writer has a b2b agreement with the WWE (WWE Shop)

* Wrestling legend Andre The Giant gets online slot game via Richard Branson's Virgin Casino.

* Hogan recently released his Kinnect-based "Hulk Hogan's Main Event" game which got mixed reviews from the gaming industry. The game promo goes "Get pumped and bring the pain in the first full-body wrestling game on Kinect for Xbox 360! In Hulk Hogan’s Main Event Hulkamaniacs can train with wrestling icon Hulk Hogan himself. As your mentor, Hulk will help you build your own wrestling personality and school you in the art of showmanship to win over the crowd. Entertain roaring fans with brutal stunts, combos, even devastating chair hits, that will knock your opponent to the mat or out of the ring. The crazier and wilder your motions, the more high impact your wrestling performance is in your living room ring!"

* Hulk Hogan is also tipped to be soon getting his own online slot game. His Hulk-A-Mania game is being developed by Endemol Games. Endemol is the company behind the famous Big Brother franchise, so you know they know about marketing and publicity. The Media Man agency is tipped to soon come to business terms with Endemol.

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Australian Sports Entertainment

Kapow! EPIX Pre-empts Stan Lee Documentary Before Slamdance Debut


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From Bondi Beach to New York, Hollywood, to Africa and beyond, the whole world knows of Stan Lee's Marvel superheroes.

You know - The Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America - Lee was instrumental in their creation and was co-creator of many of these awesome hero's.

Slamdance has snatched a sweet deal. EPIX is closing a preemptive deal for With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story, a documentary that makes its Slamdance debut this Tuesday.

Lee is the co-creator of hundreds of comic character superheros that include Marvel movie staples Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Daredevil and Iron Man.

We understand that the documentary will premiere on the pay channel along with EPIXHD, later this year. The doco examines Lee’s life, from growing up in the depression to finding his way to become an iconic comic creator during the Marvel heyday.

We were pleased to learn that the flick features the likes of Tobey Maguire, James Franco, Samuel L. Jackson, Kirsten Dunst and others who’ve starred in Marvel movies.

Lee shows up in all those movies in cameos and is still creating superheroes at age 88.

From comics, to movies, to games and exclusive interviews - its all in the flick.

The film’s produced by Paris Kasidokostas Latsis, Terry Dougas, Nikki Frakes, and Will Hess through 1821 Pictures. WME Global’s Deborah McIntosh is closing the deal.

Superhero fans around the world collectively shout "Excelsior!".

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

"Spider-Man" Broadway producers sue director Taymor - 18th January 2012

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The producers of Broadway's version of "Spider-Man" filed a countersuit against the musical's ousted director Julie Taymor on Tuesday, accusing her of jeopardizing the production by not caring about ticket sales.

The 66-page filing submitted in federal court in New York by producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris, accuses Taymor of "developing a dark, disjointed and hallucinogenic musical," and it comes in response to Taylor's lawsuit against them which she filed in November.

After a disastrous start that saw injuries to actors and opening night delays, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" has been packing in audiences on Broadway. It made a record-setting $2.9 million from Christmas to New Year's Day, according to figures from industry website The Broadway League.

The stunt-heavy musical based on Marvel Comics' most famous character, which cost over $70 million to bring to the stage with music by Bono and The Edge, was reworked after Taymor was fired from the production in March 2011.

Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King," worked on the musical's original book -- the non-sung words -- before she left the show.

Her copyright infringement lawsuit filed against the "Spider-Man" producers last year argued that, after the show was revamped, the producers continued to make "unauthorized and unlawful use" of her written works.

But attorneys for the producers, in their countersuit filed on Tuesday, stated that Taymor breached her duties to co-write and collaborate on the musical.

"Taymore refused to develop a musical that followed the original, family-friendly 'Spider-Man' story, which was depicted in the Marvel comic books and the hugely successful motion picture trilogy based on them," the lawsuit stated.

"Instead, Taymor, who admits that she was not a fan of the 'Spider-Man' story prior to her involvement with the musical, insisted on developing a dark, disjointed and hallucinogenic musical involving suicide, sex and death."

An attorney for Taymor could not be reached for comment.

Her lawsuit stated she suffered over $1 million in damages.

The countersuit filed by producers on Tuesday brought to light what it described as conflicts between Taymor's creative desires and the show's need to turn a profit.

At one point, Taymor used an expletive to say that she did not care "about audience reaction" to the musical, the lawsuit stated.

"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" received poor reviews when it opened under Taymor's direction in preview shows in late 2010, and the production suffered cast member injuries in its first weeks.

When it officially opened in June 2011, after Taymor's ouster, critics only warmed slightly to the new show. But audiences, who were drawn in part by the show's sensational publicity, began to make the show a hit.

The musical has grossed over $81 million to date, according to The Broadway League.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

James Bond Skyfall Movie Shooting In London

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Funeral scenes from the latest James Bond movie Skyfall were being filmed in London over the weekend.

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich was the set for the scenes, which featured eight coffins draped in union flags.

One passer by wrote on Twitter: "Walked past eight hearses with flag draped coffins at the Chapel at the Old Royal Naval College. The funeral scene for the new James Bond."

Ralph Fiennes has confirmed that he will appearing in the new James Bond film.

The actor didn't away too much about his role in the upcoming film but it is believed that M, played by Dame Judi, will be forced to quit and train "agent" Fiennes to take over her position.

Skyfall is due for release on October 26, 2012.

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Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Movie Box Office News: Tom Cruise leads US box office for 2011

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Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible movie held on to the top of box office charts over New Year's weekend as Hollywood said see ya to a slow-ish year at movie theatres.

As 2011 ended, US and Canadian revenue dipped from last year and attendance slumped to its lowest level since 1995.

Most industry commentators including the Media Man agency put the low numbers down to the struggling economy, with many movie fans staying at home watching commercial or pay TV, and getting the occasional DVD new release to satisfy their new release fix. Movie lovers also satisfied their entertainment desires with internet use and a range of handheld devices.

The year's final weekend saw top movies add to ticket sales from the Christmas holiday one week earlier but no change in the top three chart positions.

The Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise films took the second and third positions behind Cruise's Mission: Impossible.

From Friday through to Monday, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol netted in an estimated $US38.3 million at US and Canadian theatres, distributor Paramount Pictures advised.

The movie that features the 49-year-old Cruise as special agent Ethan Hunt hanging off the world's tallest building has grossed $US366.5 million globally.

Of that, $US225.3 million has come from international markets, affirming Cruise's place as a solid performer for global audiences and cementing a strong year for Paramount Pictures.

Rocketed along by the third Transformers film, Paramount's movies grossed nearly $US5.2 billion worldwide, the studio said. The total included nearly $US2 billion at U.S theatres and a record $US3.2 billion internationally.

No new movies were released nationwide over the weekend.

In second place, detective sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows grossed $US26.5 million over four days. Third place belonged to family film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, which pulled in $US21 million.

Rounding out the top five, Steven Spielberg's family film War Horse galloped into fourth with $US19.2 million, and thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo pulled in $US19 million.

Elsewhere, The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep in a critically praised performance as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, opened strong with $US280,409 from just four theatres. That's a massive per-screen average of $US70,102, nearly three times higher than the next-closest movie.

U.S ticket sales for all films rose 10 per cent from the same weekend a year ago, but the strong finish could not lift yearly revenues in line with 2010.

U.S revenue for 2011 fell 3.4 per cent to $US10.2 billion, the second-straight yearly decline, according to estimates from Hollywood.com. More troubling for studios and theatre chains is that attendance dropped 4.2 per cent to 1.3 billion, the lowest pace since 1995.

Commentators typically peg low turnout on unappealing movies, but this year studio executives and industry experts have said other factors may be dampening sales. They cite the weak economy and competition from mobile devices, social networking, video games and a range of other entertainment options.

This year also was measured against early 2010 results from Avatar, the top-grossing movie of all time with $US760 million at U.S and $US2 billion at international box offices.

"A confluence of factors contributed to the downturn," said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

The coming year, with a large slate of promising titles, "will be a very pivotal year. It will tell us, is it really just the product, or is something bigger going on," he said.

But the year ended on a positive theme. The final week of the 2011 ranked as the year's second highest with domestic sales of more than $US350 million, said Chris Aronson, senior vice-president for domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox.

"It's not all doom and gloom," he said. "We just had a sensational week of movie-going."

Executives also note global ticket sales remain healthy with several of 2011's biggest titles seeing the bulk of sales from international markets, much like Mission: Impossible.

Looking forward, Hollywood aka Tinsel Town is counting on a packed line-up of big-budget action movies and sequels to bring crowds back in 2012.

The offering will include Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises, superhero flick The Avengers, young-adult book adaptation The Hunger Games and the first of two Hobbit movies.

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Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Richard Branson on Measuring the Success of 2011, by Richard Branson

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As I look out across the ocean, savoring another sunset on Necker Island, I find myself reflecting on a busy and exciting year for myself and the Virgin Group. There were a couple of setbacks: In January, I ruptured a cruciate ligament in a ski accident, which meant that I had to travel to France and South Africa on crutches; in August, a fire here destroyed the great house. But we have ended 2011 in a much happier way, with my daughter Holly’s wedding to Fred Andrews, a shipbroker. This seems a good time to jot down a few of the year’s highlights.

I have written previously that success cannot be measured in wealth, fame or power, but by whether you have made a positive difference for others. The accomplishments of the past year of which I am most proud involve my efforts to raise awareness of and financing for Virgin Unite, along with the new philanthropic ventures we launched.

Because it is our responsibility as entrepreneurs and business leaders to tackle the issues our society faces, from climate change to poverty. To find solutions, we at Virgin have had to consciously cast aside traditional thinking, form unusual partnerships and consider unorthodox answers. Here are some of our most effective actions:

1. Taking the initiative.

The Carbon War Room is a business-focused, global NGO we set up three years ago to find profitable solutions to tackling climate change: Our society does not have to make a choice between economic growth and saving the environment. CWR is a nonprofit fixated by profit.

We made great progress over the past 12 months. Rather than waiting for governments to work out policy solutions, the CWR team launched two game-changing websites: one to promote efficiency in shipping; another to rank and chart the latest in sustainable aviation biofuels.

Earlier this year CWR launched a program to help finance energy-efficient retrofits of buildings, which was kicked off with a
$650 million investment scheme in Florida and California.

2. Reducing, reusng, recycling and planning for the future.

We must also ensure that we conserve our planet’s resources and maintain diversity. This year Virgin Unite struck up a great partnership with WildAid to campaign for the banning of shark-finning, the barbaric and wasteful act of cutting a fin off a living shark.

WildAid estimates that 73 million sharks per year are killed for this dish.

This project is in its early days but we are making great progress, thanks in part to the support of Governor Jerry Brown of California, who signed a bill banning the sale and possession of shark fins.

Already, many top restaurants and hotels no longer serve shark-fin soup.

3. Championing unconventional solutions.

Over the past 50 years, drug usage has gone up and jails have filled.

Though millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent trying to stamp out this illicit trade, the prohibitions have merely fueled organized crime. It is time that we try an alternative approach. This year I was fortunate to be part of the U.N. Global Commission on Drug Policy, which found that the costly war on drugs has backfired, producing little to no results.

A decade ago, Portugal became the first European country to officially abolish all criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs – a brave and successful policy. Jail time was replaced with offers of treatment for addiction: many critics feared this would attract “drug tourists” and exacerbate Portugal’s drug problem.

The results of a report commissioned by the Cato Institute in April this year suggest otherwise. It found that in the five years after personal possession was decriminalized, illegal drug use among teens in Portugal declined and rates of new HIV infection caused by sharing of dirty needles dropped, while the number of people seeking treatment for drug addiction more than doubled.

Portugal’s brave stand amounts to a decision to “Screw Business As Usual” – the title of my latest book and a mantra that should be adopted by people holding positions in company boardrooms and government cabinets the world over.

4. Building for the future.

Virgin businesses have always emphasized the need to challenge the market and do things differently – values we are keen to share with a new generation of entrepreneurs in the developing world. In 2011 we continued to expand our efforts, launching the new Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship in Jamaica and moving our center in Johannesburg to new premises, under a new CEO. Both centers are focused on helping young entrepreneurs to expand their businesses by offering practical advice and mentoring.

I brought groups of business people to South Africa and Jamaica to meet our entrepreneurs; as always, the visitors were bowled over by the young entrepreneurs’ enthusiasm and passion for their work. We hope to expand our efforts further and to find financing and maybe obtain government help in scaling up these centers.

Our society’s social, environmental and financial problems remain challenging and it looks like next year will be a tough one on many fronts. We will need to look for bold solutions, because change means opportunity. Whether you can effect small changes at the local level or try to push for sweeping cultural shifts in your industry or sector, 2012 – now – is the time to make a difference.

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Cruise rings in New Year at top of box office - 2nd January 2012

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Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol has topped the North American box office for a second straight weekend, ringing in the New Year with $US30 million in ticket sales.

The action film, the fourth in the series, thus far has taken in $US133 million, according to estimates from Exhibitor Relations.

In second place was Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, a sequel to the 2009 film about the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It took in $US22.1 million in the third week since its release.

In third place with $US18.3 million was Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, the third animated film about the singing critters.

Fourth place went to Steven Spielberg's War Horse, about the bond between a boy and his horse during World War I, which was expected to reap $US16.9 million.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - the Hollywood adaptation of the wildly popular Stieg Larsson novel, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara - took in $US16.3 million for fifth place.

Family film We Bought A Zoo starring Matt Damon finished in sixth place, taking in $US14.3 million.

Another Spielberg film, The Adventures of Tintin, about an intrepid Belgian boy reporter, was seventh with $US12 million.

Star-studded holiday romance New Year's Eve earned $US6.7 million for eighth place, while thriller The Darkest Hour took ninth place with $US4.3 million.

Rounding out the top 10 was The Descendants starring George Clooney, which grossed $US3.7 million.

Final figures are due out tomorrow after the four-day New Year's holiday weekend in the US.

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