Turn off the Lights

‘Hansel & Gretel’ Hunts Down Box Office Victory

Powering to a top-spot debut over a relatively mild frame, revisionist fairytale Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters raked in $19.7 million while the weekend’s other two wide releases floundered in fifth and seventh. 

Besting the $16.5 million start of 2012’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by a solid margin, Hansel and Gretel with Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton saw a solid turnout despite the out-there premise and horrid reviews. 

 

Overseas, where fantasy sells even better, the 3D action flick has amassed $35.8 million in the early stages of release for a strong global tally of $56.9 million. 

Following its stunning launch last weekend, fright flick Mama held up well for a scary movie, especially one that did so much business already. The Jessica Chastain-starrer dipped by 53.9 percent to $13.1 million for $48.8 million over two weeks. 

The Top 10 

1. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters - $19.7M (weekend)…$19.7M (gross)
2. Mama - $13.1M…$48.9M
3. Zero Dark Thirty - $9.7M...$69.8M
4. Silver Linings Playbook - $9.4M…$68.9M
5. Parker - $7.0M…$7.0M
6. Django Unchained - $4.9M…$146.2M
7. Movie 43 - $4.8M…$4.8M
8. Gangster Squad - $4.3M...$39.7M
9. Les Miserables - $4.2M…$137.5M
10. Broken City - $4.0M…$15.3M

Oscar contending holdovers claimed the next two spots with Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook adding $9.7 million and $9.4 million respectively for nearly identical cumes just shy of $70 million. 

Debuting at the lower end for Jason Statham vehicles, his latest Parker earned a meager $7 million. The bland name and release window were no help, but the addition of Jennifer Lopez should have been enough to boost the gross more than it did. 

In seventh, panned sketch comedy flick Movie 43 attracted just $4.8 million worth of business. Made for just $6 million, the film should reach profitability when all is said and done, but considering the plethora of stars and funny red band trailers, it’s a very unimpressive result. 

Although nearing the end of its run domestically, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained continues to light the overseas box office on fire, adding $42.9 million (amounting to tiny drops across the board from holdover territories) for a huge cume of $258 million globally. 

Next weekend offers up a fairly diverse slate of films lead by young adult Rom-Zom-Com Warm Bodies in 2,900 theaters, followed by Sylvester Stallone’s Bullet to the Head in 2,400 and geriatric hitman flick Stand Up Guys in just 450.

Comments

Meet the Author

Follow Us