#BOXOFFICE: “HANSEL & GRETEL” TAKE A BITE OUT OF BOX OFFICE

Critics didn’t like it v. much, but Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D opens solidly, debuting at number one this weekend with $19 million in North America for Paramount Pictures.  The Action-Fantasy starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton opened in 3,372 theatres, was made for $50 million and performed particularly well overseas including Russia where it earned $8.6 million alone on Friday.  Audiences gave the Film a B over at Cinemascore, which suggests it might not be as bad as Critics made it seem, earning only 15% at Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.

Last week’s Champ, Mama slips to second but still is going well with $12.9 million for Universal Pictures/eOne Films.  In two weeks it has grossed an impressive $47.5 million domestically.

Now into its eleventh week of release, Silver Linings Playbook continues to benefit from its Oscar Buzz in third, earning $10 million for The Weinstein Co./Alliance Films (eOne Films) from 2,641 theatres, keeping another Best Picture Contender,  Zero Dark Thirty, at bay in fourth with $9.8 million from 2,929 theatres.

Parker from FilmDistrict/eOne Films opens with $7 million this weekend in fourth.  The Action Flick starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez garnered overall negative reviews (35% on Rotten Tomatoes), but Audiences responded with a B+ Cinemascore.

Django Unchained still is hanging-in sitting in fifth with $5 million and right behind in sixth is The Farrelly Brothers‘ latest RomCom Movie 43 which boasts an All-Star Cast, but still managed only to pull-in $5 million in its debut for Relativity Media/Alliance Films (eOne Films).  The Cast includes: Kate Winslet, Josh Duhamel, Johnny Knoxville, Chloe Moretz, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Halle Berry, Uma Thurman, Anna Faris,  Chris Pratt, Gerard Butler, Snooki, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Sudeikis and many more.  Critics were particularly tough, the Film tallying only 6% on the Tomatometer. Audiences were equally tough with an unimpressed Cinemascore of a D.

Broken City rounds-out the Top Ten in its second week with $3.8 million ($15 million earned to date), almost on its way to recouping half of its $35 million budget.