As what many analysts expected, Zero Dark Thirty topped the box office, mainly due to its' slew of Oscar nominations this week. The controversial film from The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow earned a solid $24.4 million in its' first weekend nationwide. Playing in around 3,800 screens at 2,937 theaters, the film averaged a solid $8,321 per venue. That was right in line with what analysts were expecting before the Oscar noms were announced. Since its' limited opening four weeks ago, it has earned $29.9 million. Despite controversy, audiences enjoyed the pic ("A-" CinemaScore), and so did critics. With lots of time before the Oscars, expect this movie to finish with over $100 million stateside.
Surprisingly debuting in second place, horror comedy A Haunted House overperformed. Open Road Films' first 2013 film was able to corral $18.1 million. Playing in just 2,160 theaters, it averaged a solid $8,380 per venue. Considering the pic only cost $2.5 million to make, this will easily be the most profitable film of the month by a long shot. Critics panned it, and audiences were mixed, giving it a "B-" CinemaScore (which actually is higher than average for a horror pic).
The final new release was originally expected to top the box office, but in the end, wound up with mildly disappointing results in third place. Crime thriller Gangster Squad opened to $17.1 million. Playing in around 3,600 screens at 3,103 theaters, it averaged a modest $5,501 per venue. Analysts were expecting a debut of $20 million or more, and that it could challenge Zero, but it seems like the competition got the best of this flick. Its' not a really bad start though, crime thrillers are hard sells at the box office, and the movie posted one of the biggest starts ever for the subgenre. But given its' starpower and expensive $75 million budget, it would have to hold extremely well in order to even come close to that number, which is extremely unlikely. Critics gave it mixed reviews, while audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore, indicating positive reception on that term.
Even though it earned quite a bit of Oscar attention, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained didn't get the bump some might have thought it deserved. The R-rated western was down 45% to $11 million, for a $125.4 million gross in 19 days. Over the weekend, the film passed Inglorious B------' $120 million finish to become Tarantino's biggest-grossing movie of his career. Even if it loses a lot of screens in the coming weeks, Django still is positioned to close with over $150 million. Fellow Christmas Day release and Oscar contender Les Miserables held a bit better. The musical was down 40% to $9.6 million, for a $118.7 million gross in the same amount of time.
Down to sixth, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is starting to wind up its' overall successful run. The Lord of the Rings prequel was off 48% to $9.2 million, for a $278.2 million gross in one month of release. With the extended Martin Luther King Jr. weekend around the corner, the film should receive a large enough bump to get it past $300 million. With 12 Oscar nominations, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln re-expanded into over 2,000 locations, and saw its' business increase 17% from last frame to $6.3 million, for a huge $152.6 million gross since its' limited opening 10 weeks ago (its' been in the Top 10 for nine). The movie should play through the end of the month, and could add as much as another $20 million before its' done. Parental Guidance continued to hold well, off 37% to eighth place and $6.1 million, for a 19-day total of an impressive $60.6 million. The family comedy should add another $15 million before its' done.
After debuting in first place last week, Texas Chainsaw 3D fell all the way to ninth place and it seems like its' audience has already come out. The horror flick plunged 76% to $5.3 million, for a 10-day tally of $30.9 million. At this pace, the movie probably won't reach $40 million. Expanding to 810 locations, The Silver Linings Playbook also benefited from multiple Oscar nominations, and was up 39% to $5 million, for a $41.3 million gross in nine weeks. The movie is set to expand to over 2,400 locations next weekend.
Overseas, Life of Pi remained in the top spot with an additional $33.2 million from over 60 markets. Ang Lee's Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated flick has earned an incredible $450 million worldwide so far, and could earn another $100 million more by the time its' done. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey remained in second with a 55% drop from last weekend to $26.1 million from 59 markets, pushing its' foreign gross past $600 million and worldwide gross to near $900 million. Its' now officially set to pass $1 billion before its' done (it still has yet to open in China). Les Miserables continued to play well in only 22 markets, earning another $25.5 million and pushing its' foreign gross to just near $120 million with many territories to go. Jack Reacher expanded to 57 markets and earned $18 million, for a foreign gross of over $80 million thus far ($150 million worldwide). Wreck-it Ralph rounded out the Top 5 with an additional $11.6 million from 59 markets, bringing its' foreign total to near $160 million, and has a chance at reaching $400 million worldwide.
