The Interview explodes online while The Hobbit continues ruling

The controversial Seth Rogen-James Franco North Korea pariah comedy The Interview grossed $3 million on 300 screens since its limited release at independent theaters on Christmas Day. Add to that amount a whooping $15 million of online rentals or download and you have an $18 million winner which a day before its online and theatrical release looked like a doomed project destined for a tax break write off of $44 million for Sony. The film became a 'must watch' even by average people that didn't had plans to watch the film, but its political controversy turned it into a 'patriotic duty' to 'support free speech' and 'stick it to North Korea (read shed money to poor Sony). If this movie gets wide release right now, it will topple The Hobbit as the #1 film in America.


Speaking of the Peter Jackson Middle-Earth film, The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies remained at the top of the box office with a second week amazing 22% drop grossing a hefty $54.5 million for a 10 days domestic total of $170 million. The last chapter in the Hobbit trilogy is nearing $600 million worldwide in such a short time span, so it is safe to predict that this film will finish its run with over $1 billion.

The Angelina Jolie directorial World War II drama Unbroken became the sleeper hit of the Xmas season debuting in the second spot with a smashing $47.3 million. The film is also getting good buzz for a possible Academy Award nomination for director Jolie. In the third place, and not so far behind 'Unbroken', Disney's musical Into The Woods its singing its way to the bank with a 4 day take of $46.1 million. Apparently audiences love Meryl Streep, the singer, since this is her second musical to become a hit.

Both Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Annie benefited immensely from the holidays tradition of going to the movies and this weekend its numbers outperformed the ones of their openings with $20.6 million & $16.6 million in the third & fourth place respectively. But it wasn't only those two films benefiting from the holidays good will as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay which gained a 26% from last week or $10 million. The film has now grossed $306 million and if it keeps this pace will reach the $336 million of Guardians of The Galaxy.

The Gambler debuted in the 7th spot with $9.3 million. The critically acclaimed The Imitation Game expanded to more screens on its fifth week of release and climbed to the eight spot with $7.9 million. Continuing its way down the chart Exodus: Gods & Kings drops from the 4th spot t the 9th spot with $6.7 million for a three weeks cume of $52.5 million. The troubled pseudobiblical film have been banned in Egypt and Morocco.

And rounding up the top ten, Reese Whiterspoon's attempt to get another nomination Wild grossed $5.4 million.

 

The Hobbit surpassed the $400 million mark overseas and it hasn't opened yet on most of the markets were the previous films did great business like Germany, China, France, Spain, Sweden, Mexico and Japan.