After a lackluster 24 days in the box office, Christmas Day made audiences, theater owners, and studio execs alike smile with some decent returns as theaters started showing a good selection of new movies.

Tops in the list is the Jennifer Aniston / Owen Wilson comedy Marley & Me, which brought in a record-breaking $14.75 million on that one day alone, making it the largest Christmas Day opening in motion picture history!

Movie studio 20th Century Fox is understandably very happy with the results of the movie. Fox Distribution President Bruce Snyder said,

These are phenomenal holiday numbers, breaking all records for a Christmas Day opening. Audiences of all ages and demographics are laughing, crying, and responding with their love of the film in staggering numbers. Marley & Me truly is the definition of a ‘feel good movie’ and families are finding that the film brings them closer together.

Marley & Me is based on the bestselling book by John Grogan about a lovable but neurotic Labrador Retriever that teaches his owners about life, love, and lunacy.

Two other Christmas Day openers, Brad Pitt's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories, also brought in more than $10 million on that day. Tom Cruise's Hilter assassination drama Valkyrie didn't bring as much overall because it wasn't in as many theaters, but averaged more per screen than Bedtime Stories.

It will be very interesting to see the results for the entire long weekend!

For a full rundown of the new movies in theaters this weekend, please see our New Movies page!

Source: Twentieth Century Fox Press Release