After settling for second spot last weekend, Disney‘s Oscar-buzzed Animated Feature, Frozen advances to the top of the Box Office this chilly weekend with $31.6 million from 3,742 theatres across North America. Â After debuting in second last week the Film voiced by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel initially was behind The Hunger Games: Catching Fire at the start of the weekend, but Moviegoing traffic from Families drove its numbers up Saturday and Sunday. Â In two weeks, it has grossed $134 million.
After two record-setting weeks on-top, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire slips to second spot this weekend with $27 million from 4,163 theatres. Â In three weeks, it has earned over $336 million for eOne Films and Lionsgate Films.
Opening on a less-than-ideal weekend, Christian Bale‘s latest Drama, Out of the Furnace debuts in third spot with $5.3 million for Open Road Films and VVS Films. Audiences gave the violence-driven Film an C+ CinemaScore, while Critics were about on-par with a 55% tallied on the Tomatometer.
Thor: The Dark World still continues to go well in fourth with $4.7 million, now in its fifth week in theatres. It is nearing-in on the $200 mark and likely will surpass that shortly for Disney. Â This places it ahead of fifth-place finisher Delivery Man also from Disney, with $3.8 million.
Homefront remains in sixth place again this weekend for VVS Films and Open Road Films, with $3.2 million this weekend. eOne Films/The Weinstein Co.’s Philomena continues to go well in limited release with $3.2 million in ninth spot this weekend based on its Oscar buzz. Black Nativity rounds-out-onto the Top Ten with $889k for Fox Searchlight.
A big weekend ahead is expected for Warner Bros. as they release their  Blockbuster The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug next 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â Critics gave it mixed reviews with 54% on the Tomatometer. Audiences gave the Film based on the off-Broadway Musical a much better A-Â CinemaScore.
Oscar Contender Philomena also pops-up in ninth with $3.8 million for The Weinstein Co./eOne Films. Â 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.
Something to warm-up your Holiday! Â Fox Searchlight Canada and Mr. Will Wong want to take Readers to the Toronto Advance Screening of BLACK NATIVITY!
Official Synopsis:
In a contemporary adaptation of Langston Hughes‘ celebrated play, the holiday musical drama BLACK NATIVITY follows Langston (Jacob Latimore), a street-wise teen from Baltimore raised by a single mother, as he journeys to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett). Unwilling to live by the imposing Reverend Cobbs’ rules, a frustrated Langston is determined to return home to his mother, Naima (Jennifer Hudson). Langston embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey and along with his new friends, and a little divine intervention, he discovers the true meaning of faith, healing, and Family.
Directed by Kasi Lemmons, Black Nativity stars Angela Bassett, Tyrese Gibson, Forest Whitaker, Jacob Latimore, Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson.
The Screening takes place in Toronto on Monday, November 25, 2013 at 7:00 PM, Cineplex – Yonge & Dundas.
See the Trailer below:
To enter to win Advance Screening Passes, please click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook! Â Share on Facebook or Re-Tweet the below to double your chances!
http://www.mrwillwong.com/blacknativity @MRWILLW wants us to #win Double Passes to the Advance Screening of #BLACKNATIVITY in #Toronto!
Fox Searchlight Canada releases BLACK NATIVITY in Toronto on Wednesday, November 27, 2013.
Visit the official Website for BLACK NATIVITY.
Good luck, Wongsters.
(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)
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