When it came to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2′s chances of winning the weekend’s box office crown, we knew that the odds would ever be in its favor. We’re talking about a Hunger Games movie, after all—not some plucky upstart from a backwater district. The first three movies collectively earned nearly $1.2 billion in North America, and one assumed that Mockingjay – Part 2 would make an entrance befitting Effie Trinket herself.
Sure enough, the weekend was a no-doubter. Katniss Everdeen bested James Bond, Charlie Brown and every other would-be challenger, collecting a cornucopia of cash while she was at it. But Mockingjay – Part 2′s victory, just like Katniss’ win over President Snow, wasn’t quite as clean as might be hoped.
Mockingjay – Part 2 earned an estimated $101 million in its opening frame—a super-impressive take for practically any movie that’s not a part of The Hunger Games franchise. Inside that grand brand, Part 2 marked the weakest debut for any of Katniss’ previous outings (Part 1 was the previous low movie on the totem pole, with a $121.9 million entrance). It seems as though the Girl on Fire may have cooled a bit.
Not that anything else at the multiplex could offer much competition. Spectre, the two-time defending champion, finished a very distant second to Mockingjay, collecting $14.6 million for its troubles. James Bond may only live twice, but he can’t win thrice.
The Peanuts Movie continued to trail Spectre in the box office standings, cashing in another $12.8 million. It’s just about enough for Snoopy to buy another Andrew Wyeth for his doghouse.
Two newcomers sidled into the final two slots on our Top Five rundown. The Night Before, the latest stoner comedy starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, staggered into fourth place with $10.1 million. And Secret in Their Eyes, despite starring both Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman, remains a secret to most moviegoers, collecting just $6.6 million for fifth.
Final figures update: 1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, $102.7 million; 2. Spectre, $15 million; 3. The Peanuts Movie, $13.2 million; 4. The Night Before, $9.9 million; 5. Secret in Their Eyes, $6.7 million.
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