It’s nearing the end of November, which means it’s time for The Hunger Games.
Following the incredible success of Catching Fire last year, Lionsgate is reserving the weekend before Thanksgiving for the last two Hunger Games movies. The first part, Mockingjay - Part 1, hit theaters last night.
While the first Hunger Games opened earlier in 2012, the film opened to $152.5 million. Catching Fire scored a $158.1 million opening last year. That’s the mark that Katniss Everdeen has in her sights for Mockingjay I and it should have no trouble reaching that.
It will also give the box office a nice jolt after a rather lackluster summer and fall. As Box Office Mojo notes, there’s only been one movie this year to open at $100 million - Transformers: Age of Extinction. By the end of the year, Mockingjay I should have the top-grossing debut weekend of the year.
However, one problem for the movie might be the fact that it won’t have IMAX tickets to count on, unlike Catching Fire. IMAX screens are still dedicated to Interstellar.
Disney’s Big Hero 6 will be in a very distant second. Entertainment Weekly is predicting a $20 million weekend and that sounds about right. It’s a great pick for families with younger children who aren’t interested in The Hunger Games.
Dumb and Dumber To was a big hit last week, but it is likely to be front-loaded. The movie will likely gross under $20 million in its second weekend. It does have the advantage of being the only comedy in wide release at the moment.
Interstellar will probably come in north of $15 million.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com