Weekend Estimates: Mockingjay Sets 2014 Record with Disappointing Debut
November 23, 2014
If you could sum up 2014 at the box office in one sentence, this weekend’s headline probably comes close. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 is the film we’ve been waiting for all year: the third film in a franchise that has already topped $150 million on each of its previous two opening frames, with the weekend before Thanksgiving all to itself, and reviews that, if not stellar, are at least very respectable for a franchise tentpole. A weekend of $150 million plus seemed a very good bet, and something bigger still couldn’t be ruled out. But, come Sunday, Lionsgate is projecting a $123 million weekend, down about 20% from previous installments. That is, of course, a fantastic weekend by most measures: it’s the 15th-best weekend of all time, and easily the biggest opening weekend in 2014. But this will now be the first year since 2010 without a $150m+ weekend, and the debate about the waning influence of theater-going on the industry will undoubtedly be re-opened.
With no other wide releases this weekend, there isn’t a huge amount to report about at the top of the chart, other than to note that most films took a fairly sizable hit from last weekend. Big Hero 6 remains in second place with $20.1 million this weekend, off 42% from last time out. Interstellar will be down 47% to $15.1 million and has reached $120 million overall. Both films should do good business over Thanksgiving.
A clutch of award hopefuls populate the lower part of the top 10. In 7th place, St. Vincent has now accumulated $36 million. Birdman moves up to 9th place with $1.855 million from 862 theaters. It seems to have stalled out a bit, but could get a boost once some award nominations are announced. The Theory of Everything has the biggest cause for celebration with $1.5 million projected from just 140 theaters, maintaining an average above $10,000 per theater in its third weekend in release.
In limited release, Foxcatcher continues to be the film to watch with $474,000 earned from 24 theaters. Its average of $19,750 is the best among films reporting so far.
Bruce Nash, bruce.nash@the-numbers.com
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, St. Vincent, Interstellar, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, Big Hero 6, Foxcatcher, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), The Theory of Everything