The Guillermo del Toro-produced horror movie “Mama” is running away with the holiday weekend box-office race after debuting with a strong $10 million Friday.
Universal's supernatural thriller, starring Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is on track for a $30 million haul over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, way above the $22 million analysts had projected. It also gives Chastain the weekend's top two films. Sony's “Zero Dark Thirty,” for which she earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination, was running second after ringing up $4.5 million Friday, which should give it a four-day total of around $18 million.
Also read: 'Mama' Reviews: Is Jessica Chastain's Horror Movie Frightening or Zero Dark Ghastly?
Sony, along with MGM and EON Productions, was also celebrating "Skyfall." The James Bond thriller crossed the $300 million mark in overall domestic box office Friday. "Skyfall," which has brought in $1.03 billion worldwide, opens on 8,000 screens in China on Monday.
The news wasn't so good for two other openers, which targeted similar action audiences and came in well below expectations. Arnold Schwarzenegger's “The Last Stand” did $2 million Friday and is looking at a bleak $6.7 million total for the four days for Lionsgate. Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe's “Broken City” debuted to $2.9 million for Fox and is on pace for around $11 million for the four days.
Also read: Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Back, But Can He Flex Box-Office Muscle?
“Silver Linings Playbook” got the bump the Weinstein Company was looking for in its first week of wide release since receiving a Best Picture Oscar nomination. The dark comedy brought in $2.9 million from 2,523 theaters, up from 810.
Warner Bros.' “Gangster Squad” managed $2.6 million Friday and is on pace for around $11 million over the four days. That would put it ahead of last week's No. 1 movie, horror spoof “Haunted House,” which is looking at about $9.5 million for the long weekend after taking in $2.4 million Friday.
Also read: Jamie Foxx Calls Spike Lee 'Irresponsible' for Criticizing Quentin Tarantino
Three Best Picture Oscar nominees were in the same range. "Django Unchained" brought in $2.1 million Friday and is looking at around $9 million for the four days for Weinstein. Universal's "Les Miserables" took in $2 million Friday and DreamWorks' "Lincoln" added $1.4 million Friday.
Warner Bros.' "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" made $1.5 million Friday and is on pace for $7 million over the four days.