After securing five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, the thriller Zero Dark Thirty [ZDTHR] uncovered an estimated $24.0 million to finish atop the weekend box office. The controversial film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden attracted an audience that was 60% male and 62% over the age of 30. With excellent word of mouth, Zero Dark Thirty should add plenty to its total which stands at $29.5 million including 3 previous weeks of limited release.
A Haunted House [AHAUH] debuted with a better than expected $18.8 million to finish in second place. The horror spoof connected with urban audiences as 48% of the moviegoers were African-American and 30% were Latinos.
The period actioner Gangster Squad [TFGSQ] grossed an underwhelming $16.7 million to open at the third spot. The all-star cast couldn't overcome the .
Django Unchained [DJANG] took fourth with $11.1 million, followed by Les Miserables [LESMS] with $10.1 million.
Last weekend's number one film, Texas Chainsaw 3D [TXCM3] tumbled to ninth overall with $5.2 million, off 76% from its opening.
Finishing outside the top 12, The Impossibe [IMPSB] earned $2.6 million in its expansion to 808 theaters.
| Rank | TITLE | F-S-S | TOTAL |
| 1 | ZERO DARK THIRTY | $24,000,000 | $29,481,000 |
| 2 | A HAUNTED HOUSE | $18,817,000 | $18,817,000 |
| 3 | GANGSTER SQUAD | $16,710,000 | $16,710,000 |
| 4 | DJANGO UNCHAINED | $11,065,000 | $125,399,122 |
| 5 | LES MISERABLES | $10,127,420 | $119,206,140 |
| 6 | THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY | $9,080,000 | $278,124,000 |
| 7 | LINCOLN | $6,314,000 | $152,600,000 |
| 8 | PARENTAL GUIDANCE | $6,100,000 | $60,650,304 |
| 9 | TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D | $5,150,000 | $30,751,740 |
| 10 | SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK | $5,000,000 | $41,305,705 |
| 11 | JACK REACHER | $4,970,000 | $72,778,000 |
| 12 | THIS IS 40 | $4,500,800 | $61,569,755 |
Tag(s): ZDTHR, AHAUH, TFGSQ, DJANG, LESMS, TXCM3, IMPSB