Mockingjay – Part 1 Remains on Top
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 took in $22.03 million last weekend (Dec. 5-7) to lead the box office for a third consecutive weekend. The third installment of Lionsgate Entertainment’s blockbuster franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence was down 61 percent from the previous weekend’s three-day frame. That represented a slightly better third weekend percentage hold than that of last year’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which fell 65 percent in its third weekend to gross $26.19 million. Mockingjay – Part 1 is the first film to lead the weekend box office since Guardians of the Galaxy did so earlier this year. Mockingjay – Part 1 has grossed $258.15 million through 17 days of release. That places the film 23 percent behind the $335.85 million 17-day take of Catching Fire.
Penguins of Madagascar grossed $10.91 million to remain in second. The 3D computer animated film from 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation was down 57 percent from the previous weekend. It is commonplace for non-holiday family films to drop off significantly the weekend after Thanksgiving, due in part to family attendance traditionally increasing over Thanksgiving weekend. Penguins of Madagascar has grossed $49.39 million through 12 days of release.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ Horrible Bosses 2 was up two spots from the previous weekend to claim third place with $8.42 million. The R-rated comedy sequel was down 46 percent from the previous weekend. That represented one of this weekend’s stronger percentage holds, as the film’s Thanksgiving weekend performance was deflated a bit. With that said, Horrible Bosses 2 is still performing below pre-release expectations with a lackluster 12-day start of just $35.89 million. Horrible Bosses 2 is running a 45 percent behind the $65.67 million 12-day take of 2011’s Horrible Bosses.
Big Hero 6 placed in fourth with $8.04 million. The 3D computer animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios was down 57 percent. Big Hero 6 has grossed $177.46 million in 31 days. That places the film in good shape to eventually surpass the $200 million domestic mark, especially with the Christmas and New Year’s holidays still ahead of it.
Paramount Pictures’ Interstellar rounded out the weekend’s top five with $7.79 million. The Christopher Nolan directed sci-fi film fell 51 percent. Interstellar continues to run below expectations domestically with $158.45 million after 31 days of wide release. The film has held up nicely thus far, but it will soon begin to face more direct competition from both 20th Century Fox’s Exodus: Gods and Kings and Warner Bros.’ The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox’s The Pyramid was off to a soft ninth place start last weekend with $1.37 million. The writing was on the wall for the low-budget horror film after it was released in just 589 locations last weekend. Fox clearly has its attention already focused on the release of Exodus: Gods and Kings this coming Friday.
Fox Searchlight’s Wild was off to a far more promising start with $606,810 last weekend from 21 locations, including three theaters in the DMV. That gave the drama starring Reese Witherspoon a per-location average of $28,896. After an additional two days of release in five locations, Wild has grossed $654,058 through five days.
This Week | Last Week | Movie | Weekend Gross | Cumulative Gross | Weeks |
1 | 1 | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | $22.03M | $258.15M | 3 |
2 | 2 | Penguins of Madagascar | $10.91M | $49.40M | 2 |
3 | 5 | Horrible Bosses 2 | $8.42M | $35.90M | 2 |
4 | 3 | Big Hero 6 | $8.04M | $177.46M | 5 |
5 | 4 | Interstellar | $7.79M | $158.45M | 5 |
6 | 6 | Dumb and Dumber To | $4.28M | $78.19M | 4 |
7 | 7 | The Theory of Everything | $2.65M | $13.59M | 5 |
8 | 8 | Gone Girl | $1.47M | $162.83M | 10 |
9 | N/A | The Pyramid | $1.37M | $1.37M | 1 |
10 | 9 | Birdman | $1.15M | $18.92M | 8 |
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.