Box Office, Jason Bateman | featured news

‘‘Identity Thief’’ has turned out to be the real thing at the North American box office. The comedy starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy debuted at No. 1 with a $36.6 million opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. ‘‘Identity Thief’’ opened solidly despite the winter storm that buried much of the U.S. Northeast. Distributor Universal Pictures estimates the storm might have choked off as much as 10 percent of the movie’s business.

"Identity Thief" topped the box office on Friday night, scoring $11.2 million despite the fact that much of the Eastern seaboard was buried under a massive snowfall. The Universal comedy, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, is performing beyond expectations and should earn a strong $34 million or so for the weekend. Studios are unsure how the blizzard will affect the rest of the weekend, as many theaters in New England are closed. http://www.hitfix.com