Box Office Report: Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' Overperforms on Thanksgiving

Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed Hugo raced up the box office chart to No. 3 on Thursday behind The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and The Muppets.

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All rated PG, Hugo and Muppets opened Wednesday alongside Sony's Arthur Christmas. Because Hugo is playing older than a regular family film, Paramount only opened the film on 1,277 theaters -- nearly a third of the location count of Muppets and Arthur Christmas.

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Breaking Dawn grossed $7.8 million on Thursday for a domestic cume of $179.3 million, while Muppets grossed a stellar $5.9 million for a two-day cume of $12.5 million.

Hugo grossed an estimated $2.4 million on Thursday for a two-day cume of $4.3 million. The film's strength on Thanksgiving indicates it is playing older than a regular family film, but is still a movie that different generations can go to.

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Hugo did well enough that its projected five-day opening is now $14 million, versus $12 million. That potentially puts it within shouting distance of Warner Bros. holdover Happy Feet Two and Arthur Christmas, and particularly Arthur Christmas.

Happy Feet Two came in No. 4 on Friday, grossing $2.1 million for a domestic cume of $30.4 million. The toon's five-day Thanksgiving gross is estimated to fall closer to $15 million, versus $20 million.

Arthur Christmas fell to No. 7, grossing $1.9 million for a two-day cume of $4.3 million.

Family business should pick up considerably for Muppets and Arthur Christmas with the actual holiday over.