“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” secures the top spot on the North American box office for two weeks in a row.  The Tom Cruise-starring action movie took in an estimated $38.3 million domestically over the long holiday weekend from Friday to Monday, collecting a total of $141.2 million.

“Ghost Protocol” also pulled in $37 million overseas to push its international total to $225.3 million and worldwide haul to $366.5 million.  The Brad Bird-directed film has successfully surpassed two milestones since it was released in IMAX theaters on December 16. On Thursday, December 29, the movie crossed the $100 million mark domestically and the $300 million mark worldwide.  The movie helped lift distributor Paramount to a record $5.17 billion in worldwide box office for 2011, topping the previous high of $4.8 billion set by Warner Bros. in 2010.

Taking the second spot was Robert Downey Jr.’s “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” with &26.5 million.  The detective movie bags a total cume of $136.5 million after three weeks playing in the U.S. theaters. Warner Bros. Pictures believes that the Robert Downey Jr.-starring movie will continue to gross $175 million domestically.  The family sequel “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” came in third with $21 million for a total cume of $97.4 million.  Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse”, meanwhile, follows behind on the fourth place with $19.2 million, grossing a total cume of $45.2 million after two weeks playing in cinemas.  Trailing close behind the drama film is crime thriller “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)”, which rounds up the top five with $19 million.  The David Fincher-directed novel adaptation, which cost an estimated $100 million to produce, grosses a total cume of $60 million since it was released on the U.S. on December 20.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” Paramount, $38,325,000, 3,455 locations, $11,093 average, $141,214,000, three weeks.
2. “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” Warner Bros., $26,510,000, 3,703 locations, $7,159 average, $136,514,000, three weeks.
3. “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked,” Fox, $21,000,000, 3,724 locations, $5,639 average, $97,359,335, three weeks.
4. “War Horse,” Disney, $19,219,000, 2,547 locations, $7,546 average, $45,248,000, two weeks.
5. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” Sony, $19,000,000, 2,914 locations, $6,520 average, $60,011,000, two weeks.
6. “We Bought a Zoo,” Fox, $16,500,000, 3,163 locations, $5,217 average, $43,987,317, two weeks.
7. “The Adventures of Tintin,” Paramount, $15,000,000, 3,087 locations, $4,859 average, $50,841,000, two weeks.
8. “New Year’s Eve,” Warner Bros., $7,735,000, 2,225 locations, $3,476 average, $47,397,000, four weeks.
9. “The Darkest Hour,” Summit, $5,250,000, 2,327 locations, $2,256 average, $14,228,000, two weeks.
10. “The Descendants,” Fox Searchlight, $4,250,000, 758 locations, $5,607 average, $40,274,646, seven weeks.
11. “The Muppets,” Disney, $3,782,000, 1,541 locations, $2,454 average, $83,649,000, six weeks.
12. “Hugo,” Paramount, $3,150,000, 951 locations, $3,312 average, $50,165,000, six weeks.
13. “Young Adult,” Paramount, $2,700,000, 987 locations, $2,736 average, $12,667,000, four weeks.
14. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1,” Summit, $2,650,000, 1,411 locations, $1,878 average, $276,094,901, seven weeks.
15. “The Sitter,” Fox, $2,255,000, 1,348 locations, $1,673 average, $26,899,061, four weeks.
16. “The Artist,” Weinstein Co., $1,664,500, 167 locations, $9,967 average, $5,400,000, six weeks.
17. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Focus, $1,428,726, 57 locations, $25,065 average, $4,298,998, four weeks.
18. “My Week With Marilyn,” Weinstein Co., $1,173,933, 630 locations, $1,863 average, $9,184,000, six weeks.
19. “Puss in Boots,” Paramount, $1,015,000, 389 locations, $2,609 average, $145,767,000, 10 weeks.
20. “Arthur Christmas,” Sony, $900,000, 1,524 locations, $591 average, $46,118,000, six weeks.

For Tom Cruise’s latest movie, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” the actor performed a series of harrowing stunts on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – the world’s tallest building – and said he had one mission to accomplish and that is “Not falling.”

In an interview with Access Hollywood guest correspondent Tim Vincent in Dubai on Wednesday, Tom Cruise said that he want to entertain an audience and he think people see and feel the difference referring to them not opting for special effects or green screen moviemaking tricks on the action movie.  However, does wife Katie Holmes worry about her husband hanging on the side of the world’s tallest building?  Tom said that she knows that he train and prepare noting that he could not do it without her and his family’s support.  He added that she is very supportive.  While on top of the Burj Khalifa, which towers at 2,723 feet in the air, Tom left Katie and his family a message.  He said that he crawled over the side and signed some messages to Katie and the kids explaining that he got to sign it since he is there.  He said that he wrote their names and that he loves him.

According to 49-year-old star, Katie is responsible for his newfound fancy footwork, which audiences first saw him show off as Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder” and also in the upcoming movie musical “Rock of Ages.”  The actor said that Katie is a dancer and she kind of inspired Les Grossman and the dancing in that.  He added that Katie has gotten the whole family in those classes noting that she is the best dancer and Suri, of course.  With him, he said that he has to work at it.  Tom and Katie celebrated five years of marriage last month and the actor took some time out while shooting his current project, “One Shot,” to celebrate their special day.  Cruise said that they had a great time and he made it very, very special.  On having a fifth installment of the film, Tom said that he just want to get through this one and then they will sit down and talk about it.  He claimed that he love this franchise and it is so fun to work on.

On December 7, Tom Cruise was spotted at the premiere of his new flick “Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol” in Dubai, United Arad Emirates.  The “Minority Report” stud looked handsome in a black suit/white shirt combo as he hammed it up at the Madinat Jumeriah Complex as part of the 8th Annual Dubai International Film Festival.  At the press conference with his co-stars Simon Pegg and Anil Kapoor, Cruise explained his mindset prior to shooting one of the film’s most exciting stunts.  According to him, the first moment on the Burj, when he saw the rope, he remember just thinking this is the moment of truth.  He said that there is one thing seeing it and another thing trying to accomplish that.  He remember that he did not make it the first time and came slamming into the building.

Set of pictures of the charismatic American film actor Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise, the American film actor and producer who was born on July 3, 1962 at Syracuse, New York to Mary Lee and Thomas Cruise Mapother III who is an electrical engineer. His last name was originally derived from his great-grandfather, Thomas Cruise O’Mara. Tom Cruise has the mixed of German, Irish as English ancestry. He has an older sister named, Lee Anne, who was born in their parents’ native land Louisville, Kentucky, and his older sister named Marian, was also born in Syracuse. Tom Cruise was grown in near poverty in a Catholic family controlled by his father whom he considered as a merchant chaos.

Cruise was first seen in the 1081 films called, Endless Love and Taps and got his very first starring role in the 1983 comedy film of Losin’ it. On the same year, he appeared on the drama film of All the Right Moves and Risky Business, which come considered as a Generation X-Classic and the career maker for Tom Cruise. In year 1994, he appeared in the drama-horror film called, Interview with the Vampire, together with the renowned artists of Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas and Christian Slater.

Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt on the second sequel of the Mission Impossible film. The earned a block buster success and grossed a whopping amount of $547 Million worldwide. For his performance on the said film, Cruise was honored at the MTV Movie Awards for the Best Male Performance. In year 2001, he was also included as one of the casts of the romantic film of Vanilla Sky together with Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz. On the following year, he was also appeared on the sci-fi movie of Minority Report.

In year 2003, he was included in the historical drama of Edward wick called, The Last Samurai, wherein he was garnered a Golden Globe nomination for the category of Best Actor. Sfter two years, he once again teamed up Steve Spielberg in War of the Worlds. The film turned to be his fourth highest earning movie of the year. On the same year, he was also honored by the MTV Generation Awards as well as in the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star.

Amid of 2002 and 2009, Cruise had been nominated for the seven Saturn Awards. It was said that nine out of his ten movies during his ten years had made an over $100 Million at the box office. in addition, Cruise reprised his role as Ethan Hunt on the third sequel of the Mission Impossible film.

In March 2010, Cruise completed shooting the action-comedy film of Knight ad Day. On February 2010, he will be appearing on the upcoming fourth sequel of the film Mission Impossible, which is dated on December 2011. On May 2011, he received a humanitarian award for his work as a dedicated philanthropist. In her personal life, Cruise was linked for so many artist and had been married for three times and she is currently with Katie Holmes together with their daughter, Suri Cruise.

Tom Cruise Photo Gallery