Box office update: 'New Year's Eve' starts with a soft $5.1 million on Friday

Could someone fix the box office, please?

For the umpteenth time this fall, new releases are turning in utterly uninspiring box office results, and this weekend’s Top 12 could finish just behind Labor Day weekend’s as the second-lowest-grossing group of 2011.

New Year’s Eve led the sorry crop with $5.1 million on Friday. Despite half of Hollywood starring in the film and an extra-wide 3,505-theater count, New Year’s Eve looks like it’s only headed to an opening weekend of about $14-15 million.

The Sitter, meanwhile, grossed $3.7 million on its first day, which should give the Jonah Hill comedy about $10 million for the weekend. Given low expectations and a $25 million budget, that almost seems like a major victory.

In third, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 grossed $2.5 million on its way to a likely $7.8 million weekend. The Muppets, in fourth, pulled in $1.7 million, but thanks to a family-fueled bump at weekend matinees, it may finish close behind Twilight with about $7 million. Hugo rounded out the Top 5 with $1.6 million. It may earn $6.5 million by Sunday.

In limited release, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is outperforming Young Adult. Though the Gary Oldman spy film is in just four theaters, it earned almost exactly what Charlize Theron’s dark comedy grossed in twice as many venues: $90,000. Both look to finish in the $250-300,000 range.

Check back tomorrow for the full box office report.

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