The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 predictably topped the box office with $123 million from 4,151 locations over the weekend, scoring the year’s biggest U.S. opening.
The third installment, starring Jennifer Lawrence as the heroine Katniss Everdeen, took in $17 million at Thursday night showing.
While the feature did exceptionally well, it did less than what analysts expected and debuted 22 percent less than the previous film. Last year’s Catching Fire opened with a stellar $158.1 million, and 2012’s Hunger Games took in $152.5 million on its opening weekend.
The Hunger Games franchise has become the first in Hollywood history to have the first three installments open to $120 million or higher. Audience members, who were 60 percent female and 52 percent under the age of 25, gave the film an A minus CinemaScore, along with mixed reviews.
“We still have the biggest opening of the year. The last time you could say that was when we opened Catching Fire. It shows the strength of the franchise,” said Lionsgate’s David Spitz. “We selected this playdate because we knew we would benefit from the lucrative holiday season ahead of us. Last year, we experienced great playability all the way through Christmas, and we think it will be the same here.”
Alongside Lawrence, the film stars Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Jena Malone and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, and introduces Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer to the series.
Walt Disney’s animated action feature Big Hero 6 took the second spot on the box office charts, with ticket sales of $20.1 million. It has accumulated $135.7 million domestically during its three-week run.
In third place is Paramount and Warner Bros.’ space adventure Interstellar with $15.1 million, and a domestic cumulative total of $120.7 million.
Last weekend’s victor Dumb and Dumber To fell to the fourth spot on the charts with $13.8 million in ticket sales for a domestic total of $57.5 million. Rounding out the top five is director David Fincher’s Gone Girl in its eight week in release with $2.8 million for a domestic total of $156 million.
Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: November 21-23
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 – $123 million
- Big Hero 6 – $20.1 million
- Interstellar – $15.1 million
- Dumb and Dumber To – $13.8 million
- Gone Girl – $2.8 million
- Beyond the Lights – $2.6 million
- St. Vincent – $2.4 million
- Fury – $1.9 million
- Birdman – $1.9 million
- The Theory of Everything – $1.5 million
