Mockingjay Part 2 leads in its second week, while another newbie suffers a disastrous opening.
Story by Matt Cummings
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 topped a long Thanksgiving weekend box office which saw yet another disastrous opening for a newcomer live action and disappointing numbers for an animated film. With all of this negativity spreading into December, it's time to start asking what will bring out audiences without the title Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Repeating at the top spot is Mockingjay Part 2 took in an estimated $51.6m, dropping only 49.7%. It's still playing far behind its predecessors, but is still making good money overseas, having crossed the $440m threshold. In second place is Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, earning $39.19m over the three-day weekend. That number is the worst for Pixar since A Bug's Life and 1995's original Toy Story. Still, it received an "A" CinemaScore, which could mean a long run into December, as it represents one of only two films currently for children. That will change on December 18th, when Alvin and the Chipmunks The Road Chip arrives, which is an odd story in and of itself (think Star Wars: The Force Awakens).
At No. 3 is Ryan Coogler's Creed, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. At an estimated $30.1m, it represents the largest opening in the Rocky franchise not adjusted for inflation. That's due entirely to glowing reviews from critics and a solid CinemaScore of "A". It should make over $100m before its domestic run is concluded. In fourth place is the latest James Bond film Spectre, enjoying just a 14% drop and $12.8m take. It now sits at $176m domestically and could hit $210m before it's all said and done. The Peanuts Movie descended into fifth place, with just over $9.7m. The 3D computer animated adaptation fell 27% from last weekend. While some critics seem to think that's a bad thing - as animated films aren't supposed to drop that much so early in their runs - we're holding out hope that Snoopy and Charlie Brown will win the day and enjoy a good run through December. The numbers seem to be against that: it's only grossed $116.76m in 24 days, which is far behind predictions.
The biggest disappointment this weekend - and it seems to be happening with regularity - is the awful numbers coming from Fox's Victor Frankenstein. Opening in 2,797 theaters and sporting a solid cast (James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliff), the horor flick eeked out only $2.35m, placing it 12th. That's the worst opening for a film in 2,500+ theaters, and represents the second disaster for a wide release in 2015 (Jem and the Holograms). With a "C" CinemaScore it could disappear rather quickly.
It's Not Over Yet
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