It was the first bumper four-day weekend of the day – due to a thing our American cousins celebrate about this dude called Martin Luther King – and for us discerning Starburst readers a bunch of squirrels won the day… Yay?

THE NUT JOB is the first animated movie of the year – perhaps released to prematurely bait Spring into action – and benefited from FROZEN’s (albeit glacially slow) decline. With $25.7 million ($19.4 million over 3 days), THE NUT JOB performed admirably above expectations, improving upon Open Road Films first animated flick FREE BIRDS ($15.8 million debut). It should finish up grossing better than FREE BIRDS, and should be looking for $60 million plus.

In 2nd, continuing to defy the limitations of piteous logic, FROZEN set the 4th highest 8th weekend ever, increasing by 9% over the four-day weekend with $16.1 million. With a $336.7 million gross, it’s now got DESPICABLE ME 2’s $368.1 million in its sights and may yet end up in 3rd spot overall for 2013. Praise to the Disney gods.

In 3rd spot this week however, continuing to show waning popularity of the found-footage horror sub-genre (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES plummeted a further 75% this weekend, landing in 10th with $1.6 million), is DEVIL’S DUE with $9.1 million. There’s a precedent for supernatural horrors to perform well in January (MAMA – $28.4 million; THE DEVIL INSIDE – $33.7 million) but DEVIL’S DUE is well off from joining the club. 

Meanwhile, in wake of last week’s Oscar nominations, HER continued to tread water in 4th – falling 10% for a $4.8 million weekend and a $15.8 million gross – while GRAVITY, with 10 Oscar nominations under its belt, took advantage of a renewed national release by taking $2.3 million in 8th. It’s lifetime gross now stands at $258.7 million, making it far and away the highest earning Oscar contender, normally a decent indicator for winners.

In other news, THE LEGEND OF HERCULES cemented its fate as a hopeless flop, falling 53% into 6th picking up just $4.2 million. Here’s hoping Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s HERCULES performs better later in the year.

Sci fi, Fantasy and Horror Domestic Top 10

1. The Nut Job – $25.7 million – ($25.7m gross, 1 week)

2. Frozen – $16.1 million – ($336.7m gross, 9 weeks)

3. Devil’s Due – $9.1 million – ($9.1m gross, 1 week)

4. Her – $4.8 million – ($15.8m gross, 5 weeks)

5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – $4.5 million – ($249.4m gross, 6 weeks)

6. The Legend of Hercules – $4.2 million – ($15.1m gross, 2 weeks)

7. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – $3.0 million – ($418.0m gross, 9 weeks)

8. Gravity – $2.3 million – ($258.7m gross, 16 weeks)

9. The Secret Life  of Walter Mitty – $1.7 million – ($55.4m gross, 4 weeks)

10. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones – $1.6 million – ($31.5m gross, 3 weeks)

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