The Weekend Report Archive for January, 2013
The Weekend Report
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 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.
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Mama scared up an estimated $27.9 million (all figures reflect 3-day period) during the MLK-Inauguration holiday frame to take top honors in the weekend movie sweepstakes. Two other new national releases bowed to less auspicious results.
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Though well-repped in major Academy categories, Zero Dark Thirty had been receiving the most ink for the absence of a best direction nomination. It attracted an audience 59% composed of males and was 62% that was 30 and older. Though the era of big Oscar bumps has largely evaporated, it should come as no great surprise that some films have benefited from the spotlight by dint of strategic release patterns. Silver Linings Playbook got an outsized lift with the modest addition of 65 screens. Otherwise, Lincoln and The Life of Pi were steady and Les MisérablesAmour received considerably more love with nominations in Picture, Direction and Actress categories in addition to its anticipated slot among Foreign Language contenders.
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They simply can’t put a stake through the heart of Texas Chainsaw. The newest incarnation of the 1974 ‘Saw was top of weekend movie sales with an estimated $23.1 million debut. Chainsaw was also the only new national release, although several late-year award qualifiers also expanded to national exposure. Eco-themed drama Promised Land failed to ignite with the addition of 1,650 screens and a gross of $4.2 million. More promising though hardly explosive was The Impossible with $2.8 million from 572 locations. Also expanding from exclusive to limited status was Oscar-touted Zero Dark Thirty with a $2.7 million gross from just 60 playdates. The flip side was the total collapse of Not Fade Away that eked out a quiet $278,000 at 565 garages.
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