Twilight continues U.S. box office reign

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 has reigned supreme at the top of the U.S. box office after raking in $17.4 million over the weekend (30Nov-02Dec12).

The final film of the hugely popular vampire franchise, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, held onto the number one spot for the third week in a row, according to early studio estimates.

Daniel Craig's Skyfall remains a close second with takings of $17 million , while Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and animated family movie Rise of the Guardians are in a dead heat, both posting earnings of $13.5 million and tying for third place.

Life of Pi earned $12 million and is at four and sharing the title for fifth place are Brad Pitt's Killing Them Softly and Wreck-It Ralph with $7 million in takings.

Since many of the films are neck and neck in terms of ticket sales, industry experts suspect the rankings could shift when the final figures are released on Monday (03Dec12).