‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’ serves up a box-office winner for the Weinstein Co. with No.1 debut

By Sandy Cohen | The Associated Press
August 18 2013 09:34 AM

CP24563475 — This film image released by The Weinstein Company shows Oprah Winfrey as Gloria Gaines, left, and Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines in a scene from "Lee Daniels\' The Butler." (AP Photo/The Weinstein Company, Anne Marie Fox, File)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” is serving up success at the box office.

According to studio estimates Sunday, the Weinstein Co. biopic about a White House butler debuted in the top spot with $25 million.

But the weekend’s three other new offerings — the action romp “Kick-Ass 2,” Open Road’s Steve Jobs biopic “Jobs” and the dramatic thriller “Paranoia” — failed to find traction with fans.

Universal’s “Kick-Ass 2” debuted in fourth place with $13.56 million. “Jobs” opened in seventh with $6.7 million. And Relativity’s “Paranoia” didn’t crack the top 12.

Last week’s No. 1 film, Sony’s “Elysium,” dropped to third place with $13.6 million. The Jason Sudeikis-Jennifer Aniston Warner Bros. comedy, “We’re the Millers,” held onto second place with $17.78 million, while Disney’s animated “Planes” rounds out the top five.

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