This figure would make the Rob Marshall-directed film, which stars Meryl Streep, the second-highest-grossing film of the day. Top grosser on Christmas Day is expected to be Universal-Legendary’s "Unbroken," with a box-office total of $15.6 million. Another top earner was "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" ($12.7 million). If the grosses for "Unbroken" and "Into the Woods" remain accurate, the films will rank, respectively, as the third and sixth highest-grossing Christmas debuts of all time.
The 2012 debut of "Les Miserables," which earned $18.1 million on Christmas Day, is the second highest-grossing holiday debut of all time.
In related news, the much-in-the-headlines "The Interview," from Sony, which was released in just over 300 locations, earned approximately $1 million.