#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.

#BOXOFFICE: “THOR: THE DARK WORLD” EDGES-OUT TOUGH COMPETITION IN “THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY”

For a second straight week, Thor: The Dark World finds itself atop the Box Office, this weekend with $38.4 million from 3,841 theatres across North America.  The Action-Fantasy starring Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth, continues to power-on for Disney in its second week, although it certainly wasn’t an easy victory.

Universal Pictures’ Toronto-filmed The Best Man Holiday, a Follow-up to Malcolm Lee‘s 1999 Comedy-Drama, opens in its debut with an over-achieving $30.6 million from 2,024 theatres.   Its Predecessor in its debut managed only to muster $9 million and in its theatrical run made actually $34 million also domestically.  Reviews have been positive for the Film which stars a talented Cast including Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau, Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs and Regina Hall, with Critics giving it 64% on the Tomatometer, while earning a rare and coveted A+ CinemaScore from Audiences.

CBS Films/eOne Films’ Last Vegas continues to go strong in its third week with $8.8 earned this weekend, its third week out, just ahead of Animated Feature, Free Birds in fourth with $8.3 million.

Oscar-contending 12 Years a Slave expands to 1,411 theatres, garnering $4.6 million for Fox Searchlight in eighth spot. Domestically, it has grossed $30 million in its run thus far.

About Time rounds-out the Top Ten for Universal Pictures with $3.1 million in its third week out.

#BOXOFFICE: “ENDER’S GAME” SAYS ‘GAME OVER’ TO COMPETITION

No surprises here!  Ender’s Game debuts atop the Box Office this week, saying ‘Game Over’ to the Competition  with a strong $27 million earned from 3,407 theatres.  The Adaptation of the 1985 Novel by Orson Scott Card, garnered fairly strong reviews, earning a solid 62% on the Tomatometer for eOne Films.  Audiences gave the Film starring Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Abigail Breslin (August: Osage County) an A- CinemaScore also, boding well for a word-of-mouth buzz.

Last week’s Champion Bad Grandpa slips to second spot this weekend with a still decent $18.1 million for Paramount Pictures in this its second week, landing just ahead of Comedy Last Vegas, which brings together Oscar Winners Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline.  It earned $15.5 million  for eOne Films, from 3,035 theatres, generally getting panned with a 42% rating on the Tomatometer, although Audiences enjoyed it more giving it a B CinemaScore.

Animated Feature, Free Birds, debuts in fourth spot for eOne Films/Relativity Media, with $16.2 million earned from 3,736 theatres.  Critics panned the Film featuring the voices of Amy Poehler and Owen Wilson, giving it a 21% rating on the Tomatometer although Audiences enjoyed it much more with a B Cinemascore.

Gravity in its fifth week still is going strong in fifth spot with $13.1 million for Warner Bros., earning a cumulative total domestically of $218 million thus far.

12 Years a Slave expands to 410 theatres, still mustering a seventh-placing with $4.6 million in this its third week of release for Fox Searchlight.

Carrie rounds-out the Top Ten with $3.1 million for Sony Pictures in its third week out, just surpassing the $30-million mark in North America.