‘Marley & Me’ Top Dog at Box Office

“Marley & Me” was top dog at the all-important Christmas weekend box office, with the 20th Century Fox flick fetching more than $37 million during the three-day holiday weekend and $51.7 million with Christmas Day included.

“It’s an all-audience picture, ages 8 to 80. That’s who’s coming,” Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston told the Associated Press. “This is a movie about life, love and family. It’s what people want to see now.”

“Marley & Me,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, is based on John Grogan’s bestselling memoir about his early marriage and the couple’s mischievous Labrador Retriever Marley.

Adam Sandler’s comedy “Bedtime Stories” won the No. 2 spot with $28.1 million during the three-day holiday weekend and another $10.5 million on Dec. 25. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” which stars Brad Pitt as a man who ages backward, came in a close third with $27 million during the three-day weekend and $39 million for the four days.

“It’s a very strong finish to the year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. “Audiences are really enjoying the movies in the marketplace right now.”