Hollywood's domestic box office tops $10 billion

LOS ANGELES – Hollywood is crossing a new milestone as domestic revenues top $10 billion for the first time.

Box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com projected that 2009 receipts would pass that mark Tuesday.

The box office already surpassed the $9.7 billion total in 2007, which had been the previous record year for domestic ticket sales.

Dergarabedian estimates the movie industry could finish this year with revenues in the $10.5 billion range.

A huge Christmas weekend is ahead with Robert Downey Jr.'s "Sherlock Holmes," Meryl Streep's "It's Complicated" and an "Alvin and the Chipmunks" sequel hitting theaters.