The weekend box office report is out and Jessica Chastain films hold the top two slots, as Mama debuted in the top spot.
After a little digging – and some Twitter help – it looks like the last time an actor held the top two spots for any given weekend at the box office was Jessica Chastain in 2011 with The Help and The Debt. Leonardo Dicaprio also did in in in 1998 with Titanic and The Man in the Iron Mask. If anyone can think of another instance where that occurred, let us know in the comments.
Debuting in the top slot was the Guillermo Del Toro-produced horror film Mama, which racked up an impressive $28.1 million on just a $15 million budget. With only a B- CinemaScore, it’s doubtful the film will be able to continue a solid run in the coming weeks, but it should be a success anyway thanks to that budget.
Jessica Chastain’s other film, Zero Dark Thirty, continued to perform strongly post-Oscar nominations, as it took in $17.6 million domestically in only 2,946 theaters. The Kathryn Bigelow film is now up to just shy of $56 million in total grosses.
The Weinstein Co. continued to capitalize on the Oscar nominations, as Silver Linings Playbook rose to the third slot for the weekend, taking in $11.3 million to make raise its total to $55.3 million as the film expanded nationwide. With Jennifer Lawrence’s appearance on Saturday Night Live, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the film’s weekend actuals rise a little bit.
The Fox thriller Broken City was a major flop as it took in just $9 million from 2,620 theaters for a fifth place finish. This is Mark Wahlberg’s worst wide opening in nearly twelve years, when Rock Star took in just $6 million its opening weekend. With a B CinemaScore, it’s unlikely that Broken City will get any help in the long run, despite a supporting cast that includes Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Talking about terrible openings for stars, The Last Stand marked Arnold Schwarzenegger’s worst opening in nearly 25 years, as it took in a haul of $6.3 million and a B CinemaScore as it narrowly avoided missing the top ten altogether.
Next weekend films such as Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Movie 43 and Parker open, while Oscar nominees continue to hold a presence as January comes to a close.
Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 earners for the weekend of Jan. 18, 2012:
Weekend: $28.1 million
Theaters: 2,647
Budget: $15 million
CinemaScore: B-
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
Hypable Grade: B-
2. Zero Dark Thirty – $17.6 million ($55.9 million total)
3. Silver Linings Playbook – $11.3 million ($55.3 million total)
4. Gangster Squad – $9.1 million ($32.2 million total)
5. Broken City – $9 million
6. A Haunted House – $8.3 million ($29.9 million total)
7. Django Unchained – $8.2 million ($138.3 million total)
8. Les Miserables – $7.8 million ($132.1 million total)
9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – $6.4 million ($287.3 million total)
10. The Last Stand – $6.3 million