Thriller makes $5.3 million. By Mawuse Ziegbe Anthony Hopkins and Marta Gastini in “The Rite” Photo: Warner Bros. It appears that audiences are still down to get freaked out by a creepy performance from Anthony Hopkins. The Oscar-winning actor’s latest skin-crawling, onscreen turn, “The Rite,” topped the Friday box office. The film, which is based on real-life events and stars Hopkins as an unconventional exorcist, debuted with $5.3 million. When MTV News sat down with Sir Hopkins recently, the veteran star admitted he has a gift for freaking out fans. “I know how to do those parts,” he said. “Not because I’m scary, but because I know how to scare people. … It’s a question of being quiet and not overplaying it,” he explained. “You let the script and the audiences do the work for you. You don’t have to play evil.” Behind “The Rite” is last week’s box-office winner, “No Strings Attached. Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman’s portrayal of “sex friends” who shrug off the possibility of a relationship in favor of casual lovin,’ scored $4.3 million. Friday’s earnings kick the film’s total haul to just over $30 million. Jason Statham’s latest firepower-heavy flick ,”The Mechanic,” came in third place. The tale of an assassin looking to avenge the killing of his mentor with the help of his son (Ben Foster), debuted with $3.6 million. “The Green Hornet” took the fourth-place spot at the Friday box office. Moviegoers coughed up $2.9 million to catch Seth Rogen as the classic masked superhero duke it out with Los Angeles-area baddies. The figure kicks the film’s total estimated tally to $70 million. “The King’s Speech,” the dramatization of the UK’s King George VI’s struggle to overcome his stammer with the help of an eccentric speech therapist, rounded out the top five. The film, which recently picked up 12 Academy Award nominations, scored $2.8 million. The movie’s total estimated haul now stands at around $63 million. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Rite,” “No Strings Attached” and “The Mechanic.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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‘The Rite’ Captures Friday Box Office
