You would think that being the last instalment, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 would easily have fans of the series piling into their nearest cinema to see how it all ends for Katniss Everdeen.
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With the weekend box office down 11 percent from last year, it remains to be seen whether 2015 will indeed become a record-breaking $11 billion year as many predicted at the outset. Call it franchise fatigue. Is the series bleeding? “It’s nice to be able say we are one of only 34 films to have ever had an opening weekend over $100 million”. Plus this is the final chapter. The original ‘Hunger Games’ premiered to a massive $152.5 million in 2012. The film has earned $154.1 million in its three weeks of release.
The fourth and final movie in the Hunger Games franchise – the saga that turned Jennifer Lawrence into a Hollywood mega-star – ruled the North American box offices over the weekend, early results showed Sunday. However, it’s all but inevitable that the new “Star Wars” film will topple “Mockingjay” in mid-December if it can hang on that long.
Spectre dropped to 2nd with $15 million, down a respectable 55.3%. Now Spectre is 5th, behind Die Another Day ($160.9 million), Casino Royale ($167.4 million), Quantum of Solace ($168.4 million) and of course Skyfall ($304.4 million).
In Australia, it was easily the biggest movie in cinemas, taking $9.8 million for a solid average of $15,700 per cinema. And continuing the roughed up nature of the box office, The 33 fell several spots as it landed in ninth with an estimated $2.2 million and, at $9.9 million in total, not much to speak of.
As for “Games”, what accounts for the movie’s opening weekend performance?
The Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen crude Christmas comedy ‘The Night Before’ kicked off its opening weekend with a so-so $10.1 million. It was an emotional night for many of us.
The Lionsgate (LGF – Get Report) production debuted with $101 million in US ticket sales, 17% lower than the previous installment, and short of the $120 million industry-watchers had projected.
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Huge expectations aside, Mockingjay – Part Two is the fifth biggest opening of the year so far and eighth largest November opening. In the meantime, The Martian still remains the top earner of the field with an estimated $3.7 million adding to a profitable $213 million domestic gross.
