“Zero Dark Thirty” fueled by a firestorm of criticism and five Academy Award nominations, captured the top spot at the domestic box office Sunday, January 14 with $24 million in its nationwide expansion over the weekend, TheWrap reported.
It easily beat out the weekend’s two debuting movies, the horror spoof “A Haunted House," which finished second with $18.8 million, and Warner Bros.’ star-studded “Gangster Squad,” which was third with a disappointing $16.7 million. Kathryn Bigelow’s tale of the hunt for Osama bin Laden has been an awards and critical favorite, but has been pilloried by politicians and others who claim that the film portrays torture as being an effective tool in the hunt for the al-Qaeda leader.
The box office success of “Zero Dark Thirty” can be seen as a measure of vindication for Bigelow, writer Mark Boal and Sony executives, who have staunchly defended the film's portrayal of the U.S. government's pursuit of the al-Qaeda leader as accurate. Audiences' embrace of the film — they gave it an "A-" CinemaScore — must be gratifying for Bigelow, who was snubbed for a Best Director Oscar nod despite the film's five nominations, including Best Picture.
