Weekend Box Office Report: November 21-23, 2014

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Katniss collects cash!

The crowds had a craving for post-apocalyptic intrigue this weekend, putting THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 at the top of the box office with an estimated $123 million!

The movie places Jennifer Lawrence's champion as the face of the future's revolution, but that didn't draw opening audiences quite like the previous two entries (THE HUNGER GAMES – $152.5 million, and last year's CATCHING FIRE – $158 million).

The first half of the final novel's adaptation also gathered an additional $152 million from international crowds for a three-day $275 million worldwide total. (The combined MOCKINGJAY production reportedly cost over $250 million.)

Moviegoers didn't seem too disgruntled that they have to wait until next November for the conclusion, giving the movie a three-finger salute (or an 'A-' CinemaScore, anyway), while critics were less enthused and offered fewer fingers with a 67% average on Rotten Tomatoes.

CATCHING FIRE went on to a $424.6 million domestic total, so if the Katniss fans keep coming for a while, MOCKINGJAY PART 1 still stands a chance of beating GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY's $331 million finish (it doesn't meet any major threats until EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS on December 12 and THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF FIVE ARMIES on the 17th).

Holding onto second place from last week was Disney's BIG HERO 6 with $20 million, followed by Christopher Nolan's INTERSTELLAR again orbiting third place with another $15.1 million (it's up to $450 million worldwide).

The moron reunion DUMB AND DUMBER TO seemed to suffer from negative word-of-mouth and/or the Katniss competition, as the continued idiocy from Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels fumbled from first down to fourth place with $13.8 million — a 61% plunge from its opening last weekend.

David Fincher's GONE GIRL once again retained its grip on fifth place with $2.8 million, now two full months in the top half of the chart. Critical acclaim didn't seem to give much of a boost to the musical melodrama BEYOND THE LIGHTS, in sixth place with $2.6 million (a 57% drop from its opening).

Bill Murray's ST. VINCENT and Brad Pitt's FURY are still watching newer releases slide past them on the list, while Michael Keaton's drama BIRDMAN climbed a spot to ninth place. The Oscar-buzzed Stephen Hawking biopic THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING motored into the Top 10 with $1.5 million as it rolled out to 140 locations.

Outside the chart, OUIJA and NIGHTCRAWLER slipped out of sight while in limited release, the Steve Carell/Channing Tatum wrestling drama FOXCATCHER added 18 screens and stayed strong with a $19k per-screen average.

Your Thanksgiving weekend offerings include the R-rated comedy sequel HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 and the computer-animated family movie PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, both opening Wednesday.

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