#BOXOFFICE: “FIRE” AND ICE COMMAND THE BOX OFFICE U.S. THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

The flame keeps burning this weekend at the Box Office as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire continues to show no mercy to its competition with an unbelievable $74.5 million in its second week of release.  Already, the November record-setting Blockbuster Sequel from Lionsgate Films/eOne Films has surpassed the $300-million mark and it also sets a new U.S. Thanksgiving five-day record with $110.2 million grossed between Thursday through Sunday, eclipsing the $85-million record set previously by 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Globally it has made over $573 million already.

Adding ice to the fire is a stellar debut from Disney‘s Frozen, which opens in second with $63.8 million from 3,742 theatres. The Animated-Feature voiced by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel has garnered great reviews, tallying 86% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes and Audiences gave it an emphatic A+ CinemaScore.

Thor: The Dark World continues to go strong in its third week out with $15.5 million, a distant third for Disney.  The second Film in the Thor Franchise has just surpassed the $185-million mark domestically.

The Best Man Holiday continues to exceed expectations in fourth with $8.5 million. To date it has grossed $63 million in North America for Universal Pictures.

Homefront, an Action-Thriller based on the Novel by Chuck Logan  starring James Franco and Jason Statham, opens modestly in sixth with $6.9 million for VVS Films and Open Road Films.  Despite getting panned by Critics with a 35% rating on the Tomatometer, Audiences enjoyed it, giving it a B CinemaScore.

Black Nativity debuts in eighth surprisingly with $4 million for Fox Searchlight.  Critics gave it mixed reviews with 54% on the Tomatometer. Audiences gave the Film based on the off-Broadway Musical a much better A- CinemaScore.

Oscar Contender Philomena also pops-up in ninth with $3.8 million for The Weinstein Co./eOne Films.   Just in September, it received a Premiere at TIFF ’13. The fact-based Drama starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan about a Mother looking to find the Son whom she was forced to give-up for adoption, received an incredible 91% rating on the Tomatometer.

Four-week Veteran Last Vegas rounds-out the Top Ten with $3.6 million for CBS Films/eOne Films.