Weekend Box Office Report: November 28-30, 2014

More hunger for Hunger!

People found time between feasting and shopping for a taste of Katniss this weekend, keeping THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 on top of the box office with an estimated $56.8 million!

Jennifer Lawrence's post-apocalypse heroine fought off all challengers over the Thanksgiving holiday, putting the third movie in the series at a 10-day domestic total of $225.9 million. That may seem sluggish compared to CATCHING FIRE (which was just short of $300 million after ten days) but it's already higher than the finishes of some of the summer's biggest hits, including DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, GODZILLA, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 and 22 JUMP STREET.

While MOCKINGJAY PART 1 dropped over 50% in its second weekend, it has also collected an additional $254.4 million from international audiences for a worldwide total of $480 million, and next week it gets another free weekend to spread its wings without any real competition.

Opening in second place was the new computer-animated spinoff PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR with $25.8 million (and $36 million total since it waddled into theaters on Wednesday). Benedict Cumberbatch and his spy bird colleagues had the lowest opening of anything MADAGASCAR-related — the previous entry in the usually Ben Stiller-fronted family franchise started with $60.3 million in 2012. Critics thought the undercover penguins were moderately appealing (69% on Rotten Tomatoes), and crowds unsurprisingly gave it higher marks ('A-' CinemaScore).

Slipping a spot to third was another family-friendly flick: Disney's BIG HERO 6 with $18.7 million. Christopher Nolan's INTERSTELLAR was once again close behind in fourth place with $15.8 million, which is actually an increase over last weekend despite losing 350 screens. The worldwide total for the space trip has also blasted past the half-billion mark.

In fifth place was the new R-rated comedy HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 with $15.7 million (and $23 million since its Wednesday opening). Even with its high concept and a cast that added Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz to join Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey and the trio of starring goofballs, the sequel couldn't even match the original movie's $28.3 million opening weekend. Critics weren't amused (35% on Rotten Tomatoes) and moviegoers gave it a 'B+' CinemaScore.

In sixth was fellow comedy sequel DUMB AND DUMBER TO with $8.2 million, as it also passed $100 million worldwide. Motoring along after it was the award-accessible Stephen Hawking biopic THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, up to seventh place with $5 million as it added an extra 660 theaters.

David Fincher's GONE GIRL is finally inching toward the bottom of the chart after nine weeks, followed by Michael Keaton's BIRDMAN still circling ninth place, with Bill Murray's comedy ST. VINCENT closing out the list.

Outside the chart, Brad Pitt's tank FURY clanked into history along with the critically applauded but audience-ignored musical melodrama BEYOND THE LIGHTS. In limited release, the Steve Carell/Channing Tatum wrestling drama FOXCATCHER expanded to 72 screens for $1 million, and Benedict Cumberbatch's Alan Turing biopic THE IMITATION GAME opened with an exceptional $120k per-screen average.

Next weekend offers a single new major release (though only on around 550 screens) with the horror movie THE PYRAMID, while Reese Witherspoon goes wandering in the limited release drama WILD.

What December release are you most interested in seeing? VOTE HERE!