On The Red Carpet
‘The Hobbit’ wins Friday box office, ‘Django Unchained’ nabs No. 2 spot
December 29, 2012
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is still tops at the box office but the battle between “Django Unchained” and “Les Miserables” is heating up.
“The Hobbit” reclaimed the No. 1 spot at Friday’s box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and earned an estimated $10.7 million. The outlet reports that the film’s domestic total has hit $200.5 million after nearly three weeks in theaters. The film is expected to stay in first place throughout the weekend.
“The Hobbit” features Martin Freeman the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the uncle of Frodo Baggins from “Lord of the Rings.” The first installment in the trilogy, “The Unexpected Journey,” sees Bilbo embark on a dangerous journey across Middle Earth with the help of Gandalf and a large group of dwarves to find treasure guarded by a dragon, Smaug.
In second place is the Quentin Tarantino film “Django Unchained.” The movie earned an estimated $9.7 million on Friday, narrowly beating out “Les Miserables,” which earned $9.4 million. “Django Unchained” has taken in a domestic total of $43 million since opening on Christmas Day.
The R-rated western-inspired film stars Jamie Foxx as an African American slave-turned-bounty hunter. Foxx’s character, Django, aims to rescue his wife, played by Kerry Washington. The movie also stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz, who appeared in Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.”
Although “Les Miserables” beat out “Django Unchained” at the box office on Christmas Day, the movie lost a little steam and placed third at the Friday box office. The musical broke two box office records on its release date — December 25 marked the highest opening day for a musical and the top weekday Christmas opening of all time.
The film stars Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, is an impoverished French man who is released from prison on parole after serving time for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving sister and her child and for failed attempts at escaping jail. (Check out 9 facts about Hugh Jackman and his “Les Miserables” experience) A police inspector named Javert, played by Russell Crowe, is obsessed with putting him back behind bars.
The movie also stars Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter.
Landing in fourth place at the Friday box office is the family comedy “Parental Guidance” with Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei. The film grossed an estimated $5.1 million and its four-day domestic haul is now $19.8 million.
Rounding out the top five for Friday is the Tom Cruise action film “Jack Reacher,” which earned $4.1 million. The film, which has been out for two weeks, has earned $28.1 million domestically.
