Weekend Box Office: 'Identity Thief' Steals A Lead

Despite receiving harsh reviews from critics, "Identity Thief" took an early lead at the box office on Friday. The comedy, starring Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman, opened Friday, making $11.2 million across 3,141 theaters. The movie stars McCarthy as an over-the-top con artist who has stolen Bateman's identity. THR reports that the Friday earnings for "Identity Thief" put the film on pace for a $34.8 million weekend.

Zombie rom-com "Warm Bodies" dropped to the number two spot, making $3.3 million on Friday across 3,009 theaters. The movie stars Nicholas Hoult as a zombie who falls in love with a human girl. "Warm Bodies" has made $28.4 million since its release.

Also opening this weekend is Steven Soderbergh's thriller, "Side Effects." Starring Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Rooney Mara, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, "Side Effects" made $2.8 million across 2,605 theaters on Friday. THR puts the film on pace for a $9 million weekend.

Rounding out the top five for Friday is "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," coming in at number four and five, respectively. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's "Silver Linings" made $1.6 million across 2,809 theaters on Friday. The Oscar-nominated film has reached a total domestic gross of $84.7 million. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, made $1.4 million across 3,285 theaters Friday. The film has made $39.5 million to date.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/09/weekend-box-office-identity-thief_n_2653033.html

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