'Narnia' rules box office

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe returned to the top of the North American box office during the New Year holiday weekend.

The adaptation of CS Lewis' story took $32.8m at the North American box office over the weekend and Monday, ending King Kong's two-week reign.

"King Kong" added $31.6 million and the Jim Carrey comedy remake "Fun with Dick & Jane" with $21 million.

The duel between "Narnia" and "King Kong" helps the new year begin on an upbeat note following a disastrous 2005, when ticket sales fell below the $9 billion mark for the first time since 2001, according to estimates from tracking firm Exhibitor Relations , Reuters Reports

The company said sales for the three-day portion of the holiday weekend -- Friday through Sunday -- totaled $130 million, up 5 percent from the comparable period last year.

"Cheaper by the Dozen 2" followed "Fun with Dick & Jane" with $19.3 million.

Romantic comedy "Rumor Has It" jumped from #10 to #5 with more than $11.6 million this week. The film stars Jennifer Aniston as Sarah Huttinger. Kevin Costner co-stars as Internet billionaire Beau Burroughs , and Mena Suvari plays Aniston's screen sister.

"The Family Stone" joined the list of films that held their ground, coming in at #6 for the second week in a row with $10.2 million. The comedy stars Sarah Jessica Parker reports MTVNews.