‘Little Fockers’ Tops Thursday Box Office With $7.1 Million (never expected this)

Universal’s Little Fockers  grossed $7.1 million from 3,536 theaters on Thursday at the domestic box office, according to preliminary estimates. That brings the film’s two-day cume to $14.3 million. A version of this review appeared Wednesday. Before most of America gets together with their families for the Christmas holiday, a good portion of them took to the theaters Thursday to enjoy the comedic stylings of “Little Fockers.”  The third Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller tête-à-tête found another $7.2 million on Thursday for a two-day total of $14.4 million.  While solid business, that’s far behind the franchise’s previous installment, Meet the Fockers,” which grossed $24.2 million over its first two days in 2006.   Nipping at “Fockers’” heels was Disney’s “Tron Legacy” with another $6.1 million and a seven day cume of $68.2 million.  “Legacy” will easily pass $100 million domestic, but whether it can truly become a franchise hit remains to be seen. From brilliance to banality.  ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ is the latest from Jack Black and it seems to rest entirely on his shoulders.  If you’re a fan of Black, you’ll probably enjoy the film.  If you’re not then you’ll want to stay away. Disney’s 3D holiday offering  Tron: Legacy  came in No. 2 on Thursday, grossing an estimated $6.1 million from 3,531 locations for a cume of $68.2 million in its first seven days. Hitting the trail in third was “True Grit.”  The Coen Bros.

Some of these references, too, hail from Portis’ book, but after tackling the trials of Job in A Serious Man , the moviemaking siblings appear to have taken an especially keen interest in the venerable Christian and Hebrew texts. Paramount’s True Grit  placed No. 3, grossing roughly $5.7 million from 3,047 theaters for a pleasing two-day total of at least $11.2 million. “Yogi Bear” drummed up some more family business for fourth place with $3.8 million and $28 million so far. Playing in 3,515 theaters, Yogi’s  cume is $28 million in its first seven days. It will battle “Fockers” and “Gulliver’s Travels” for major family coin during the holiday break beginning tomorrow. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack’s suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back.   Jeff Bridges – whose previous collaboration with the Coens produced cinema’s iconic stoner, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski – plays Cogburn with eye patch and baggy long johns, and with a gruff, grizzled conviction.

Among specialty offerings, Fox Searchlight’s Black Swan  remained a favorite, coming in No. 7 with a gross of $1.8 million from 1,462 theaters for a cume of $22.4 million. Theater traffic is expected to drop off dramatically today, and then begin picking up tomorrow afternoon.