Quebec’s star-crossed lovers came out on top despite heavy competition over the holidays when Roméo et Juliette opened on Dec. 15 to a first-week gross of $481,510, besting the box-office take on French screens of both Charlotte’s Web and The Pursuit of Happyness.

The teen-targeted romance – from Cinémaginaire producers Denise Robert and Daniel Louis – opened on 73 screens in the province via Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm, for a healthy per screen average of $6,596.

By comparison, Paramount’s redo of Charlotte’s Web opened to only $79,557 on French screens, while Happyness, from Sony, drew $205,909. Both opened on Dec. 15.

Roméo has gone on to gross $950,000, as of the Dec. 29-31 weekend. It is directed by Yves Desgagnés (Idole instantanée) and retells the Shakespearean romance in present-day Quebec, starring newcomers Thomas Lalonde and Charlotte Aubin.

Charlotte’s Web fared better in the rest of Canada, with a first-week gross of more than $1 million from 250 screens nationwide, although its average $4,263 per screen still falls below that of Roméo et Juliette. Pursuit of Happyness grossed $2.5 million from 193 screens across Canada.

The only Hollywood release that presented any competition for Roméo et Juliette was Fox’s adventure flick Eragon, which grossed $453,524 on French screens over its first week. Eragon opened on Dec. 15 on 226 screens across Canada to $2 million-plus.

It comes as no surprise that Hollywood presented more competition in English Canada, where Marc Evans’ Snow Cake was released Dec. 15 in five theaters through Alliance Atlantis MPD.

The Canada/U.K. copro from Rhombus Media and Revolution Films grossed over $13,000 in its first week for an average $2,709 per theater. It expanded on Dec. 22 to 12 screens and has since grossed some $57,000.

Starring Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman, Snow Cake tells the story of the relationship between a man and an autistic woman in rural Ontario.

-With files from Sean Davidson