"Frozen" solid in second place
By Jessica Herndon, Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Over the bustling post-Christmas weekend, Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" continued to lead the box office, landing in the No. 1 slot for the third weekend in a row.
The Warner Bros. prequel earned $30 million, bringing the domestic gross to $190.3 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
Disney's animated adventure, "Frozen," took the No. 2 position, earning $28.9 million over the weekend and $248.4 million domestically after six weeks at the multiplex.
"'Frozen' probably had the best release date of the year because they positioned themselves to completely dominate the family film marketplace over the holidays," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak. "To be No. 2 in its sixth week is a total reflection of that."
Reigning box-office champion "Hobbit," ''really contributed to this record box office that we have at the end of the year," he added. "With 'Hobbit' and 'Frozen,' we are talking $450 million at the box office between those two films alone. They are absolutely killing it here at the end of the year."
This year is poised to be a banner one at the box office, and it is projected to surpass 2012's $10.8 billion by nearly 1 percent, making this the highest annual take ever.
Paramount held two slots in the top five over the weekend, with the comedies "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," starring Will Farrell, and "The Wolf of Wall Street," featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. Sequel "Anchorman 2" came in at No. 3 with $20.2 million, and Martin Scorsese's dark comedy, "The Wolf of Wall Street," took the No. 5 spot, earning $19 million after opening at No. 2 on Christmas Day with $9.15 million.
"Some people are calling the performance of 'Anchorman' a bit of a disappointment, but it will be a $100 million gross at the end of the day," Dergarabedian said. "All of the marketing certainly raised its profile. It will have a good showing."
"Anchorman" met studio expectations over the Christmas holiday.
"We are thrilled and we feel the movie will play well in theaters for a while," said Don Harris, president of distribution at Paramount. "The first film brought in $84 million, and this one will be well north of that."
At nearly three hours long, "Wolf" does not have as many showings in a day as the rest of the pictures currently in theaters, yet it's holding its own at the multiplex. "The movie is very much out there in terms of content, and that's a good thing," added Harris. "It's different than anything else in the marketplace. I think people are surprised that it's a lot of fun."
At No. 4, Sony Pictures corruption saga, "American Hustle," made $19.6 million. David O. Russell's entertaining take on the Abscam investigation of the 1970s, starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, has grossed $60 million domestically and gained seven Golden Globe nominations.
Oscar hopeful "Saving Mr. Banks," Disney's making of "Mary Poppins" story, starring Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, came in at No. 6, making $14.3 million.
Fox's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," Ben Stiller's dramatic turn, which he also directed, took seventh place, earning $13 million. "'Mitty' is a feel-good film and with the combination of our excellent exit polls and audience friendly rating at PG-13, I think we are going to play well into the New Year," said Chris Aronson, president of distribution at Twentieth Century Fox. "This has been an incredibly fragmented and healthy marketplace as we're expected to finish with a record year."
And despite lackluster reviews, Keanu Reeves' martial-arts film "47 Ronin" managed to slide into the top 10 at No. 9 with $9.9 million in its opening weekend.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday:
1."The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," $30 million ($98.3 million international).
2."Frozen," $28.9 million ($50.5 million international).
3."Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," $20.2 million ($8 million international).
4."American Hustle," $19.6 million ($1.7 million international).
5."The Wolf of Wall Street," $19 million ($6.5 million international).
6."Saving Mr. Banks," $14.3 million ($300,000 international).
7."The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," $13 million ($27.2 million international).
8."The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," $10.2 million ($9 million international).
9."47 Ronin," $9.9 million ($13.8 million international).
10."Tyler Perry's a Madea Christmas," $7.4 million.
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Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1."The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," $98.3 million.
2."Frozen," $50.5 million.
3."The Secret Life of Mitty," $27.2 million.
4."Police Story 2013," $18 million.
5."47 Ronin," $13.8 million.
6."The Physician," $13 million.
7."Personal Tailor," $12.5 million.
8."Walking With Dinosaurs," $12.3 million.
9."The Attorney," $12 million.
10."The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," $9 million.
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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More