Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty saw a nationwide expansion this weekend, as it burst to the top of the weekend box office, fending off newcomers Gangster Squad and A Haunted House.
After weeks of performing fantastically in limited release, Zero Dark Thirty expanded into nearly 3,000 theaters and brought in a solid $24 million, for a per-theater average of $8,172. The A- CinemaScore should help the film going forward, not to mention its five Oscar nominations.
The Paranormal Activity spoof A Haunted House opened in second place with $18.1 million in just 2,160 theaters, which just barely tops the Zero Dark Thirty per theater average. These types of films are typically rather front-loaded, and the B- CinemaScore won’t bode well for its chances moving forward. In third place was newcomer Gangster Squad, which had a lackluster opening of $16.7 million, in the most theaters of any film this weekend.
Django Unchained, Les Miserables and Lincoln all took advantage of their Oscar nominations by adding theaters, with Lincoln the winner among the bunch as it added 126 theaters and took in $6.3 million which, while less than the other two, is a 16% bump from last weekend. Silver Linings Playbook also took advantage of its eight Oscar nominations by adding 65 theaters (it expands wide next weekend), taking in $5 million and cracking the top ten.
Next weekend sees newcomers Broken City, Mama and The Last Stand arriving on the scene, plus the wide release of Silver Linings Playbook, as they all will look to oust Zero Dark Thirty from the top of the domestic box office.
Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 earners for the weekend of Jan. 11, 2012:
Weekend: $24 million
Theaters: 2,937
Budget: $40 million
CinemaScore: A-
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Hypable Grade: A
2. A Haunted House – $18.1 million
3. Gangster Squad – $16.7 million
4. Django Unchained – $11 million ($125.3 million total)
5. Les Miserables – $10.1 million ($119.2 million total)
6. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – $9 million ($278.1 million total)
7. Lincoln – $6.3 million ($152.5 million total)
8. Parental Guidance – $6.1 million ($60.6 million total)
9. Texas Chainsaw 3D – $5.1 million ($30.7 million total)
10. Silver Linings Playbook – $5 million ($41.3 million total)