'Mama', a horror film, overperformed to earn USD 28.1 million for the three-day stretch. The film is expected to top the four-day holiday weekend with USD 33.2.
Oscar nominated 'Zero Dark Thirty' came at the second spot by making USD 17.6 million.
Chaistan is in the race to win the best actress Oscar for her role of a hard-nosed CIA agent on a mission to hunt down Osama bin Laden in the Kathryn Bigelow directed movie, which was partly shot in India.
Schwarzenegger's comeback movie was at the bottom on the top-10 films at the box office by opening with just USD 6.3 million. It is Schwarzenegger's first leading role since 2003.
Similarly, Wahlberg and Crowe failed to charm the audience with their crime-thriller 'Broken City'. The film is expected to gross USD 10 million for the four-day weekend after a disappointing three-day take of USD 9 million.
David O Russell's 'Silver Linings Playbook' enjoyed a raise after faring well in the award circles. The film grossed USD 11.4 million to come third. Its total is nearing USD 60 million.
Cop drama 'Gangster Squad' was at the fourth spot, followed by 'Haunted House', 'Django Unchained', 'Les Miserables' and 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'.