By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

The Weekend Report

Grimm and Bear It

If not quite happily ever after, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters bowed at the top of the charts with an estimated $18.5 million. The session’s other debuting national releases proved less potent. The tough guy antics of Parker was fifth in the lineup with $6.8 million while the comic pursuit of an infamous film, Movie 43, was a notch below with $4.8 million.

In the niches a couple of films from the Indian diasporas had strong openings. Hindi Race 2 sped to $832,000 at 153 venues and Tamil Vishwaroopam scored $659,000 from 84 locations. A handful of exclusive openings also stepped out with encouraging results.

Overall weekend revenues pushed to roughly $110 million for the first downturns of 2013. In addition to a 25% dip from last weekend’s MLK holiday session, box office also experienced a 15% slide from 2012 when the opening of The Grey topped viewing options with $19.7 million with fellow newcomer One For the Money grossed $11.5 million.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters was on track to lead weekend ticket sales with estimates in the low to mid-20s. However, it fell short of expectations, in part due to severe winter storms that exhibitors prefer to program on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Obviously hoping to mine the strain of last year’s Snow White and the Huntsman, the adult protagonists ramped up the stakes with 3D and drew in an initial crowd that was 55% male and 57% aged 25 and older. Now stamina will be key going forward.

Parker continues Jason Statham’s position as his generation’s Charles Bronson. It’s a tough legacy … but someone has to do it now that Schwarzenegger and Stallone have segued into self-deprecation.

Movie 43 proved once again that the comedy omnibus film is not dead except in commercial terms. The audience was 51% male and 59% aged 25-years and younger and largely undiscerning.

The industry is hunkering down for next week’s Super Bowl weekend with the inevitable abandon all hope attitude. And on the Oscar front, about the only film in the marketplace that shows the confidence of a winner is Amour … and it’s on 64 screens.

Title Distributor Gross (avg) % chng Thtrs Cume
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters Par 18.5 (5,480) NEW 3372 18.5
Mama Uni/eOne 12.8 (4,780) -55% 2682 48.6
Zero Dark Thirty Sony/Alliance 9.5 (3,250) -40% 2929 69.6
Silver Linings Playbook Weinstein Co. 9.4 (3,570) -12% 2641 68.9
Parker FilmDistrict 6.8 (3,070) NEW 2224 6.8
Movie 43 Relativity 4.8 (2,380) NEW 2023 4.8
Django Unchained Weinstein Co. 4.8 (2,400) -38% 2007 146.1
Gangster Squad WB 4.1 (1,570) -53% 2590 39.5
Les Miserables Uni 3.9 (1,750) -48% 2210 137.2
Broken City Fox 3.8 (1,460) -54% 2622 15.1
Lincoln BV 3.7 (1,950) -32% 1909 166.9
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey WB 3.3 (1,990) -46% 1675 293.3
A Haunted House Open Road 3.1 (1,570) -62% 2002 35.3
Life of Pi Fox 2.6 (2,800) -21% 941 103.5
Parental Guidance Fox 2.3 (1,340) -45% 1736 70.7
The Last Stand Lionsgate 2.0 (690) -68% 2913 10.5
The Impossible Lionsgate 1.9 (2,400) -24% 782 13.2
Argo WB 1.8 (2,790) -22% 635 117.5
Quartet Weinstein Co. 1.1 (6,630) 255% 163 1.6
Race 2 UTV .83 (5,420) NEW 153 0.83
Jack Reacher Par .82 (920) -63% 888 78.2
Skyfall Sony .75 (1,620) -23% 463 302
This is 40 Uni .73 (1,440) -64% 507 66.3
Wreck-It Ralph BV .71 (1,210) -45% 588 182.5
Vishwaroopam Blue Sky .66 (7,850) NEW 84 0.66
Amour Sony Classics .45 (6,960) 19% 64 1.8
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $104.70
% Change (Last Year) -15%
% Change (Last Week) -23%
Also debuting/expanding
Rust and Bone Sony Classics .12 (1,030) -47% 116 1.7
John Dies at the End Magnolia 13,300 (13,300) 1 0.01
Italy: Love It, or Leave It KinoSmith 12,400 (12,400) 1 0.01
Catimini Axia 11,500 (880) 13 0.01
Yossi Strand 10,700 (5,350) 2 0.01
Happy People: A Year in the Taiga Music Box 8,900 (8,900) 1 0.01
Supporting Characters TriBeCa 2,800 (2,800) 1 0.01
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Leonard Klady's Friday Estimates
Friday Screens % Chg Cume
Title Gross Thtr % Chgn Cume
Venom 33 4250 NEW 33
A Star is Born 15.7 3686 NEW 15.7
Smallfoot 3.5 4131 -46% 31.3
Night School 3.5 3019 -63% 37.9
The House Wirh a Clock in its Walls 1.8 3463 -43% 49.5
A Simple Favor 1 2408 -50% 46.6
The Nun 0.75 2264 -52% 111.5
Hell Fest 0.6 2297 -70% 7.4
Crazy Rich Asians 0.6 1466 -51% 167.6
The Predator 0.25 1643 -77% 49.3
Also Debuting
The Hate U Give 0.17 36
Shine 85,600 609
Exes Baggage 75,900 62
NOTA 71,300 138
96 61,600 62
Andhadhun 55,000 54
Afsar 45,400 33
Project Gutenberg 36,000 17
Love Yatri 22,300 41
Hello, Mrs. Money 22,200 37
Studio 54 5,300 1
Loving Pablo 4,200 15
3-Day Estimates Weekend % Chg Cume
No Good Dead 24.4 (11,230) NEW 24.4
Dolphin Tale 2 16.6 (4,540) NEW 16.6
Guardians of the Galaxy 7.9 (2,550) -23% 305.8
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4.8 (1,630) -26% 181.1
The Drop 4.4 (5,480) NEW 4.4
Let's Be Cops 4.3 (1,570) -22% 73
If I Stay 4.0 (1,320) -28% 44.9
The November Man 2.8 (1,030) -36% 22.5
The Giver 2.5 (1,120) -26% 41.2
The Hundred-Foot Journey 2.5 (1,270) -21% 49.4