Box office report: 'Interstellar' and 'Big Hero 6' blast off

Christopher Nolan’s mysterious and cerebral blockbuster Interstellar and Big Hero 6, the latest film from Disney’s resurgent in-house animation studio, are in a tight race for the weekend box office crown. Friday’s estimates show Interstellar taking the early lead with $17 million, with Big Hero 6 close behind at $15.8 million. Interstellar got a two-day head start thanks to its arrangement for IMAX and 35mm screenings on Wednesday (which raise its total earnings to $19,151,000), but Big Hero 6 can be expected to benefit from big family business on Saturday, and it may well win the weekend.

Rounding out the top 5 and closely bunched in earnings on Friday were horror film Ouija; David Fincher’s Gone Girl; and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler.

1. Interstellar — $17,000,000 ($19,151,000 domestic total)
2. Big Hero 6 — $15,830,000
3. Ouija — $1,900,00 ($39,355,000 domestic total)
4. Gone Girl — $1,860,00 ($141,188,000 domestic total)
5. Nightcrawler — $1,695,000 ($15,940,000 domestic total

Check back tomorrow for final estimates for the three-day weekend.