'Hunger Games' tops 'Krampus,' 'Creed' third

The final "Hunger Games" spoiled an early Christmas for the holiday horror comedy "Krampus" to maintain its top spot at the North American box office for the third week running.

The Jennifer Lawrence-led film took in an estimated $18.6 million in the U.S. and Canada, bringing its domestic total to $227 million, according to Rentrak estimates yesterday.

The anti-Santa Claus thriller (which did not screen for critics) was the only film to debut in the Top 10 this week and brought in $16 million.

It only cost $15 million to make, so someone has probably already started work on an even bloodier "Krampus 2: Menstrual Krampus."

The normally slow weekend following Thanksgiving was up 26 percent from a year ago thanks to "Krampus," which slipped in between the release of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2," and "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," which is due out Dec. 18.

"Creed," the boxing film where Sylvester Stallone reprises his role as Rocky Balboa, came third, and the animated tale "The Good Dinosaur" came fourth. Each had around $15.5 million in ticket sales.

Overall ticket sales are running 4 percent ahead of last year and are on track to top $11 billion in the U.S. and Canada for the first time, said Rentrak's senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

* Bruce Springsteen will kick off a 9-week U.S. tour next year.

On Friday the 66-year-old icon announced The River Tour with the E Street Band, which starts Jan. 16, 2016, in Pittsburgh. Springsteen will play 24 dates and wrap the tour on March 17, 2016, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

Tickets go on sale Dec. 11. The Boss rocks the Wells Fargo Center on Friday, Feb. 12.

* Goodbye "Pinkprint," hello fingerprints.

Nicki Minaj's older brother has been arrested on child rape charges in Long Island.

A Nassau County court official says Jelani Maraj was arraigned Thursday in a Long Island hospital on charges of first-degree rape and first-degree sexual conduct against a child. It was not immediately clear if he entered a plea.

Court documents allege the victim was younger than 13. The court papers allege Maraj had engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim for at least three months.

* Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West welcomed a baby boy early Saturday in Los Angeles.

"He's here!" the reality star teased on Twitter. An announcement on Kim's website reads, "KANYE AND I WELCOME OUR BABY BOY!"

A rep for the couple confirmed to the Associated Press that mom and baby are doing well. There was no immediate word on the baby's name.

Kim has tracked her pregnancy online for her 37 million Twitter followers, posting an image late Friday of her bare belly with the caption, "Ready whenever you are lol."

This is the second child for the fame-obsessed, self-absorbed couple. Daughter North was born in 2013.

* A drum kit that Ringo Starr used to record some of the Beatles' early hits has sold for $2.2 million at an auction to Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.

Isn't it great to be the son of a guy who bought an NFL team?

Julien's Auctions says Irsay bought the 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl three-piece drum kit Friday at a sale in Beverly Hills. The two-day auction included over 800 items owned by Ringo and his wife, actress Barbara Bach and raised $10 million for the couple's Lotus Children Foundation, which focuses on global social welfare issues.

Global social welfare? Does that mean it's competing with Mark Zuckerberg's new charity?

* And as we start the season of gift-giving, rapper 2 Chainz paid a visit to a fellow Georgian and did a good deed.

CNN reported that single mother Deirdre Plater is a disabled veteran who has been having trouble making ends meet. 2 Chainz learned of her predicament and paid her a visit on Saturday.

He also brought her new furniture and offered to pay her rent for the year.

Happy Hanukkah.

- Daily News wire services contributed to this report.

Email: gensleh@phillynews.com
Phone: 215-854-5678
On Twitter: @DNTattle