A few months ago there was talk of Oscars for Lone Survivor. While that talk has died down, the film can take plenty of solace from an exceedingly good US opening, where it took $38.5 million over the weekend (it had been playing on a couple of screens before that, but only so it could qualify for the Oscars, which demand a movie open on at least one screen in LA or New York before December 31st).
It’s the second biggest January opening ever after Cloverfield’s $40.1 million. It’s also a lot better than most other movies that have concentrated on the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The only other new entry was The Legend Of Hercules, which placed fourth with $8.6 million. It’s not a great start but about in line with expectations due to its lack of marquee name (Kellan Lutz is Hercules) and modest marketing, as well as the fact there was little to make it stand out.
Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of January 10th-12th.
| Rank | Title | Weekend Gross (millions) | Total Gross to date (millions) |
| 1 | Lone Survivor | $38.5 | $38.8 |
| 2 | Frozen | $15.0 | $317.6 |
| 3 | The Wolf Of Wall Street | $9.0 | $78.5 |
| 4 | The Legend Of Hercules | $8.6 | $8.6 |
| 5 | American Hustle | $8.6 | $101.5 |
| 6 | The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug | $8.0 | $242.2 |
| 7 | August: Osage County | $7.3 | $7.8 |
| 8 | Saving Mr. Banks | $6.5 | $68.9 |
| 9 | Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones | $6.3 | $28.4 |
| 10 | Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues | $6.1 | $118.5 |