Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters topped the Friday box office with $6.1 million to beat the horror film Mama.
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters took the top spot at the Friday box office after the new horror-fantasy film grossed $6.1 million in its first day.
Starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters took in $6.1 million on Friday to lead the way over the Guillermo del Toro produced Mama in second at $3.8 million and Silver Linings Playbook with $2.3 million in Friday box office sales.
Interestingly, critics at Rotten Tomatoes have the horror-fantasy film at 14% while audiences gave Hansel and Gretel at 74%. It was another unexpected January win for a horror based fantasy after Texas Chainsaw 3D kicked off 2013 with an unxpected win before Mama killed the box office competition last week.
Rounding out the top five at the Friday box office was Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty with $2.3 million and the Jennifer Lopez film Parker at $2.3 million.
The comedy Movie 43, starring a slew of Hollywood’s top actors, including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, and Gerard Butler, fell fatally flat with only $1.8 million. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes currently have the film at 6%.
“… the overall level of humor suggests the filmmakers did not wish to unduly tax their audience with anything as demanding as the subtle wit and sophisticated wordplay of Date Movie and Meet the Spartans,” wrote Variety about Movie 43.
Box office analysts have Hansel and Gretel on track for a weekend take between $15-20 million.
What did you think of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters?