IN FREEZING WEATHER, FROZEN IS HOT AGAIN

Despite Martian-like cold in many sections of the Midwest and snow-clogged roads in the Northeast, the box office actually finished 3 percent ahead of the comparable week a year ago, when Lionsgate’s Texas Chainsaw 3D led with $21.744 million. Nevertheless, actual figures for the weekend in many cases turned out to be significantly lower than studios’ estimates on Sunday. This weekend’s top film, Disney’s Frozen returned as the top film despite having been released six weeks earlier (seven, if the first week, when it played in a single theater, is included). The runner-up this weekend was Paramount’s scare-flick Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, which opened at No. 1 on Friday, but was left in the cold on Saturday and Sunday. After three weeks at No. 1, Warner Bros.’ The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug slipped to third place with $15.68 million. Paramount’s The Wolf of Wall Street had the smallest drop of any film in wide release, falling 28 percent to $13.23 million, edging out Sony’s American Hustle, which placed fifth with $12.40 million.