"High School Musical 3" remains atop N. American box office

Disney's song-and-dance film "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," which opened last week as the biggest-grossing musical movie ever, remained atop the box office in North America this weekend, according to preliminary figures released Sunday.

Director of the movie Kenny Ortega (C) holds Manly 'Little Pickles' Ortega from the movie, as he poses with cast members Ashley Tisdale (L) and Zac Efron at the premiere of the movie "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" at Galen Center in Los Angeles Oct. 16, 2008.

The first big-screen version and third installment of the original made-for-television franchise by Disney Channel is expected to take in 15 million dollars over the three-day period, with 61.8 million dollars over two weeks in U.S. and Canadian theaters.

Meanwhile, HSM3 took in about 26 million dollars overseas this weekend, being No. 1 in each of its 26 international markets and with a foreign total of 85 million dollars since its release. It has grossed nearly 150 million dollars globally in just 10 years.

The Weinstein Company's comedy "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" debuted in No. 2 with 10.7 million dollars. The R-rated film is about two cash-strapped roommates who try to make adult films to pay off their bills.

Cast member Vanessa Hudgens greets fans at the premiere of the movie "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" at Galen Center in Los Angeles Oct. 16, 2008. The movie opens in the U.S. on Oct. 24.

Last week's runner-up "Saw V" slipped to No. 3 with 10.1 million dollars over the weekend, while "Changeling" from Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood and actress Angelina Jolie, was in No. 4 with 9.4 million dollars as it expanded to wide release.

In "Changeling," which was based a legal case in 1920s Los Angeles, Jolie played a single mother who fights against the city's bureaucratic police department after her son disappears.

New release "The Haunting of Molly Hartley," a horror film from Freestyle Releasing, was in No. 5 with 6 million dollars over the Halloween weekend, which saw Hollywood's overall sales slumping as the holiday fell on Friday coincidentally this year.

The top-selling 12 movies took in about 75.17 million dollars collectively this weekend, down about 38 percent from the same period last year. It was the first "down" weekend for Hollywood after five "up" weekends.