NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘Hobbit,’ ‘Frozen’ lead box office to record year

LOS ANGELES

Over the bustling post-Christmas holiday weekend, Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continued to lead the box office, as it landed in the No. 1 slot for the third weekend in a row. The Warner Bros. prequel earned $30 million, bringing the domestic gross to $190.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Disney’s animated adventure, “Frozen,” took the No. 2 position, earning $28.9 million over the weekend and $248.4 million domestically after six weeks at the multiplex.

Paramount held two slots in the top five over the weekend, with the comedies “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” starring Will Farrell, and “The Wolf of Wall Street,” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. Sequel “Anchorman 2” came in at No. 3 with $20.2 million and Martin Scorsese’s dark comedy, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” rounded out the list at No. 5, earning $19 million.

At No. 4, Sony Pictures corruption saga, “American Hustle,” made $19.6 million.

Polish composer dies

WARSAW, POLAND

Wojciech Kilar, a Polish pianist and composer of classical music and scores for many films, including Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning “The Pianist” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” has died. He was 81.

The composer died Sunday in his hometown of Katowice, southern Poland, after a long illness, according to Jerzy Kornowicz, head of the Association of Polish Composers.

“The power and the message of his music, as well as the noble character of Wojciech Kilar as a person, will stay in my memory forever,” said Kornowicz.

Associated Press