Weekend Box Office Report: 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2' Sets the Box Office on Fire
Jacob Hall
Jacob Hall Published: November 22, 2015
As expected, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 topped the box office charts this weekend. But like the war in the movie itself, it all feels like something of a hollow victory. That may seem like a weird thing to say about a movie that broke $100 million in its opening weekend, but this is a new low for the series' box office receipts…and it's not even close.
Film Weekend Per Screen
1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 $101,025,000 $24,198 $101,025,000
2 Spectre $14,600,000 (-56%) $3,990 $153,702,000
3 The Peanuts Movie $12,800,000 (-46%) $3,487 $98,943,000
4 The Night Before $10,100,000 $3,412 $10,100,000
5 Secret in Their Eyes $6,633,000
$2,773 $6,633,000
6 Love the Coopers $3,925,000 (-52%) $1,508 $14,919,000
7 The Martian $3,700,000 (-44%) $1,774 $213,039,000
8 Spotlight $3,603,000 (+166%) $6,026 $5,879,000
9 The 33 $2,240,000 (-61%) $914 $9,900,000
10 Bridge of Spies $1,945,000 (-54%) $1,270 $65,177,000
Mockingjay – Part 2 grossed $101 million over the weekend, which would be an incredible number for just about any other movie. However, it's a little disappointing for the grand finale in a beloved series, especially when other YA adaptations (like the Harry Potter movies) ended with a bang at the box office. Put this opening weekend next to the first Hunger Games movie, which made $152 million in its opening weekend back in 2012. And then there's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which performed even better with $158 million in 2013. Things started to dip last year when Mockingjay – Part 1 opened with $121 million. So we're looking at a series that has spent the past two years tumbling. It's still a hit, but audiences are losing interest. In other words, it's a good thing this is the last movie.
The film is still going to score big. It will be fine in the end, especially when the international grosses start rolling in. However, it certainly won't break $400 million at the domestic box office like the first movie, and it probably won't reach the $337 million the previous installment made. In fact, with Star Wars waiting in the wings to kneecap its box office legs, Mockingjay – Part 2 may have to struggle to reach $300 million.
Other new releases opened to less spectacular numbers. The Night Before opened with a disappointing $10 million, a far cry from Seth Rogen comedies of the past (although it was produced cheaply enough that breaking even is still possible). Secret in Their Eyes battled a nonexistent marketing campaign and bombed with $6 million.
With the newfound competition, Spectre and The Peanuts Movie both tumbled, falling 56 percent and 46 percent, respectively. This could be a serious problem for Spectre, which made $14 million over the weekend for a $153 million gross. At this point, any chance of doing Skyfall numbers is gone — it may have a chance at $200 million, but $300 million at the domestic box office simply isn't going to happen. The Peanuts Movie cost significantly less, so its $12 million weekend gross and $98 million total so far is solid. It may still have a shot at $150 million, but it'll hit $130 million for sure. It's a hit, albeit a minor one.
The rest of the top 10 was fairly predictable: The Martian and Bridge of Spies continued doing steady business while The 33 and Love the Coopers continued to bomb. The one standout was Spotlight, which expanded into more theaters and rode some serious Oscar buzz to a $3 million weekend. That's not much, but as the film gains steam and acclaim, it could mean the start of something big.
Source: Weekend Box Office Report: 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2' Sets the Box Office on Fire
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