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'Hansel, Gretel' get box office sweet spot

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, led the weekend box office with $19 million.

"Mama," an eerie film starring Jessica Chastain, was second with $12.86 million.

All North American estimates of gross box office figures are via Box Office Mojo.

"Silver Linings Playbook" was third with $10 million; "Zero Dark Thirty," again starring Chastain, was fourth with $9.8 million; "Parker" fifth with $7 million; "Django Unchained" sixth with $5.005 million; "Movie 43" seventh with $5 million.

"Gangster Squad" eighth with $4.2 million; and "Broken City" ninth with $4 million.

"Les Miserables (2012)" was 10th with $3.912 million.

Jennifer Lawrence has pneumonia

HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Jennifer Lawrence was too ill to accept an award from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, a "Silver Linings Playbook" co-star said.

The Golden Globe winner was not on hand when it was announced she won best actress at the ceremony Saturday, and her co-star, Jacki Weaver, accepted on her behalf, the New York Daily News reported.

"I am going to accept this award on behalf of Jennifer," said Weaver, who is nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar. "She really wishes she could be here, but she is very ill."

Weaver told the audience at the Soho House in Hollywood that Lawrence, 22, was suffering from pneumonia, which has caused her to be too sick to attend several awards ceremonies recently, the newspaper said.

Weaver read Lawrence's acceptance speech, which expressed her gratitude and her interest in traveling to Australia one day to visit the Sydney Opera House.

Lawrence is also a front-runner for the best actress category at the Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 24.

Burt Reynolds 'feeling better' in hospital

MIAMI, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Actor Burt Reynolds is "feeling better" after being hospitalized in Florida for the flu, but he is still in intensive care, his representative said.

Reynolds was admitted to the hospital Friday with flu like symptoms and dehydration, CNN reported. He was then transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit.

As of Saturday, he was "feeling better," said Erik Kritzer, the actors representative, adding that Reynolds was still in the ICU as of Saturday evening.

Kritzer predicted Reynolds would be released from the hospital on Monday.

Hedgehogs featured in 'Puppy Bowl'

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Animal Planet is adding nine hedgehog cheerleaders to this year's "Puppy Bowl IX," which airs opposite the "Super Bowl," a network spokesperson said.

Sixty-three puppies are selected to appear on the pre-taped show, and 21 kittens are in the kitten half time feature, the spokesperson told E! Online. The puppies and kittens all come from shelters.

The nine hedgehogs, dressed in tutus, are "provided by loving families who originally adopted them," said the spokesperson, whose name was not reported.

None of the animals are available for sale, the spokesperson said.

"In years past, all of the puppies and kittens have been adopted to loving families. As of now, only one puppy from this year's lineup is still up for adoption," they said.

All breeds of puppies are accepted for the "Puppy Bowl" as long as they meet age and size requirements.

The "Puppy Bowl" is the the most-watched non-football-related television event on Super Bowl Sunday with an estimated 9 million viewers this year, E! Online reported.

The show was taped in November so the less-than-interesting moments of a puppy's life are edited out.