BOX OFFICE REPORT January 3-5, 2014(estimates from BoxOfficeMojo.com)
TOP 51. Frozen ($20.7 million)2. Paranormal Activity: TMO ($18.2 million)3. The Hobbit ($16.2 million)4. The Wolf of Wall Street ($13.4 million)5. American Hustle ($13.2 million)
As millions of Americans were once again trapped inside by severe winter weather, Frozen appropriately regained the top spot with an estimated $20.7 million. That's almost unheard of nowadays for a movie to make that kind of money in its sixth week. In fact, the only movies to make more than that in their sixth weeks were James Cameron's two juggernauts: Avatar and Titanic.
That was enough to beat out the new Paranormal Activity movie The Marked Ones, which made only $18.2 million. That's the lowest debut for any since the first one, which you'll remember was just a small indie with a $15,000 budget. Still, these things only cost $5 million or less to make, so don't be surprised if there's yet another one of these in a year or two.
The rest of the top five continued their successful runs, even if The Hobbit and The Wolf of Wall Street are still finishing under expectations. American Hustle, meanwhile, is the big Oscar season hit, and I think still has a good chance to win Best Picture.
Outside the top 5: - This Weekend's Indie Champ: Lone Survivor, Peter Berg's take on Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell's ill-fated Afghanistan mission. The film stayed on just two screens for an Oscar-qualifying run, earning $41,800 on each one. It goes wide on January 10.
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is now just a couple million shy of being the No. 1 movie of 2013 and beating out the original. It will get there by next weekend.
- Sweet Odin's raven! After a semi-disastrous opening, Anchorman 2 is now a legitimate success, earning more than $100 million. Still, it's baffling that it will earn less than Identity Thief or We're the Millers.
Next week: The first of two Hercules movies debuts, not like we needed any. Kellan Lutz, one of the guys from Twilight that's not Jacob or Edward, plays the hero in The Legend of Hercules. He's a pretty dreadful actor, so his take won't even be on the level of Kevin Sorbo. I think this one will be a total bomb, earning less than $10 million next weekend. While Frozen could repeat at No. 1, I think the champ will be Peter Berg's Lone Survivor. If Act of Valor can debut at the top, surely a movie with professional actors can do nearly as well. I'll predict $22 million for the Mark Wahlberg vehicle.
