Hugh Jackman plays Jean Valjean in the musical adaptation of Les Miserables
Les Miserables took in $18.2 million at the Christmas Day box office to top the Quentin Tarantino directed Django Unchained in second place at $15 million.
The long awaited big screen adaptation of Les Miserables, directed by Tom Hooper and starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe, earned $18.2 million in its opening day on Christmas to take the top spot over Django Unchained, director Quentin Tarantino’s new Western with Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Les Miserables was well ahead of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in third place at $11.3 million and the Billy Crystal comedy Parental Guidance in fourth place with $6.4 million.
The strong Christmas day box office totals of Les Miserables and Django Unchained put both films on the record books as the fourth and fifth highest grossing Christmas Day films in history.
Although both Les Mis and Django clock in with running times of nearly three hours, critics on Rotten Tomatoes have the Tom Hooper musical rated at 72% and Quentin Tarantino’s Western at 89%. Interestingly, moviegoers have Les Mis rated at 86% and Django Unchained at 90% overall.
Les Miserables
“Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption–a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.”
Which movie did you see on Christmas Day?