This year, five new nationwide releases were delivered on Christmas Day. By the weekend, however, audiences had turned their attention back to blockbuster holdovers The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Frozen.
The second Hobbit movie took first place for the third-straight weekend, adding $29.9 million for a total of $190.3 million, and remains on track to ultimately make north of $250 million. Overseas, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug added $98.3 million for an international total of $423.8 million and a worldwide total of $614.1 million.
In second place, Disney Animation's Frozen continues to exceed expectations, taking in $28.8 million. Among 2013 releases, Frozen now ranks seventh with $248.4 million, and is guaranteed to close with over $300 million. Overseas, Frozen had its best weekend yet, taking in $50.5 million with Brazil, Japan and China still on the way. To date, Frozen has earned $243.5 million overseas, and will pass $500 million worldwide on Monday.
Paramount’s Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues took third place with $20.2 million. Through 12 days, the comedy sequel has earned $83.7 million, and is well on its way to pass the original movie's $85.3 million.
David O. Russell's American Hustle held on to fourth place, bringing Sony $19.6 million. So far, the star-studded 1970s caper has earned $60 million.
Among the Christmas Day releases, Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street led the pack with $18.5 million ($34.3 million five-day).
After a slow start, Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks came in sixth place, taking in $14 million. Through 10 days, Banks has earned $37.8 million, meeting the film’s $35 million production costs.
Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opened in seventh place with $13 million ($25.6 million five-day). Coinciding with its domestic debut, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opened to $27.2 million overseas.
Now in its sixth week at the domestic box office, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire came in eighth place, bringing in $391.1 million.
Universal's long-delayed big-budget samurai movie 47 Ronin earned only $9.9 million ($20.6 million five-day). Overseas, 47 Ronin added an additional $13.8 million this weekend for a new international total of $22.3 million.
Grudge Match, the Robert DeNiro/Sylvester Stallone boxing comedy, took in just $7.3 million ($13.4 million five-day).
Fox’s CG adventure Walking with Dinosaurs came in 12th place at the domestic box office, earning $7.1 million for a total of $20.8 million. Overseas the film grossed $12.3 million for an international total of $33.4 million.
Box office numbers were obtained on boxofficemojo.com.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
