The Weekend Report

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug once again held top position on the charts with an estimated $31.7 million in its second weekend. However, there was colorful competition from the debuting Ron Burgundy with his Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues taking a deep $26.3 million bow.

The session’s only other national debut was the animated Walking with Dinosaurs that lumbered toward the tar pits with $7.3 million.

In the niches there was no gloom as Bollywood’s Dhoom 3 generated a record for an Indian import with a $3.3 million tally. The film also set records on its home turf and appears headed for a $25 million plus global gross for the weekend. The frame also saw two Tamil films enter the marketplace with Biriyani getting a decent toehold of $88,700 from 35 locations.

There was also a better than usual opening for China’s Personal Tailor of $108,000 from nine screens while The Past, Iran’s Oscar submission, grossed $30,400 from three strategic sites but the purposeful timing was dimmed when the film failed to make Oscar’s foreign-language shortlist.

Following last week’s appetizer both American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks rapidly expanded with respective box office of $19.3 million and $9.3 million that keeps both titles in the race. And also hot on the award’s trail, Her bowed on six screens and wooed an impressive $259,000.

Overall revenues approached $147 million and dipped 4% from the prior weekend. However, it rose a substantial 30% from 2012 when the first Hobbit chapter grossed $36.9 million and newcomers Jack Reacher and This is 40 followed with respective box office of $15.3 million and $11.6 million.

While the original Anchorman was hardly a box-office behemoth, its ancillary appeal has been unflagging. In the sequel he’s left San Diego behind for the Big Apple and that already looms as a bigger piece of the theatrical pie. According to studio exit polling, the film skewed a decided 62% male and was 56% aged 25-years and older.

Walking with Dinosaurs seemed like ideal family counterprogramming but that niche opted for Frozen leaving the newcomer with the big chill. Unsurprisingly it played like a family film … just not enough of them.

Both American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks unsurprisingly skewed older with the latter chalking up 80% of its weekend crowd in the 25-year plus category. Women also dominated with 57% of the slice while Hustle was more evenly split with a slight distaff slant of 51%.

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