Despite a solid ensemble cast, Contraband was largely marketed based on the presence of Wahlberg.  Since it's a thoroughly R-rated crime drama with a healthy dose of action that's not based on a familiar property, the film was not expected to perform quite so robustly at 2,863 locations.  Wahlberg's past films didn't necessarily demonstrate that Contraband could open with an estimated $24.1 million, but here we are.  It's worth noting that the film accomplished this feat in the face of a critical reception that was lukewarm at best.

Back in September of last year, Disney's 3D rerelease of The Lion King performed incredibly well, surpassing even the wildest expectations and adding more than $100 million to the film's already-considerable coffers.  That success prompted the studio to set up a 3D rerelease pattern for its similarly beloved animated properties, with Beauty and the Beast as the first out of the gate.  The film became the first animated feature to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar back in 1991, and the fond memories allowed it to earn an estimated $18.4 million in second place this weekend.  It's not as huge as The Lion King's $29.3 million 3D opening, but it's certainly nothing to sneeze at, either.  So add $18.4 million to the global theatrical total of $395.8 million that the film has brought in.

In third place, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol collected another $11.5 million in estimated grosses.  In 2006, Mission: Impossible III ended up being the lowest-grossing of the franchise, but over this weekend, Ghost Protocol surpassed 1996's Mission: Impossible to become the second biggest movie in this series, behind only 2000's M:I 2.  Not a bad live-action debut for animation master Brad Bird, and a testament to the continued movie stardom of Tom Cruise.

Joyful Noise, the long-awaited teaming of Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, opened in line with expectations, earning an estimated $11.3 million at 2,735 locations.  With the other three films mentioned covering very different demographics of principally males and families, Joyful Noise naturally captured a healthily female crowd to open in fourth place during a fairly crowded weekend.

After surprising pretty much everyone by scooping up $34.5 million in its opening weekend, the much-derided The Devil Inside took a precipitous and utterly predictable drop of 76.6% in its second weekend, with $7.9 million putting it in sixth place.  While steep drops are the norm for horror movies, the rare F CinemaScore rating and a whole lot of boos during the closing credits ensured that The Devil Inside would not hold up too well.

Here are the estimates for the top ten movies in America for the weekend of January 13-15:

1. Contraband                                                          $24.1 million        New Release

2. Beauty and the Beast 3D                                     $18.4 million        New Release

3. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol                 $11.5 million        $186.7 million

4. Joyful Noise                                                          $11.3 million        New Release

5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows              $8.4 million         $170.0 million

6. The Devil Inside                                                    $7.9 million         $46.2 million

7. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo                          $6.8 million         $87.9 million

8. Alvin and the Chipmunks: ChipWrecked             $5.8 million         $118.7 million

9. War Horse                                                              $5.6 million        $65.7 million

10. The Iron Lady                                                       $5.3 million        $5.9 million

Next weekend sees the addition of Haywire, Red Tails, and Underworld Awakening.