‘Texas Chainsaw 3D’ tops ‘Django Unchained’ at the box office for first weekend of 2013

For the second year in a row, Hollywood kicked off with a horror film. Texas Chainsaw 3D won the first box office weekend of 2013, knocking off Oscar favorites like Django Unchained and Les Miserables. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which had dominated the box office over the past few weeks, slid to third.

Texas Chainsaw grossed just $23 million, far below last year’s January horror film The Devil Inside, which opened to $33 million, reports Box Office Mojo. However, it was above the 2008 Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel’s $18.5 million opening.

The film is another Lionsgate-distributed effort and cost Millennium Entertainment under $20 million to make. It only earned a C+ CinemaScore Grade from audiences and made most of its money on Friday.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Django Unchained finished second with $20.8 million, that’s just a 33 percent drop from the week before. After 13 days, it has grossed $106.4 million and stands a chance to be Quentin Tarantino’s highest-grossing film. Inglourious Basterds currently holds the record with $120.5 million.

The Hobbit added another $17.5 million and is up to $263.8 million domestically after four weekends. It has made $250 million overseas.

Les Miserables grossed $16 million, bringing its domestic total to $103.6 million. Parental Guidance rounded out the top 5 with $10.1 million.

Despite being screened at just 60 locations, Zero Dark Thirty made a stunning $2.75 million this weekend. It goes wide on Friday.