Mockingjay rules quiet US on $22m

Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 stayed top for the third weekend in a row as $21.6m elevated the tally to $257.7m.

The third entry in the YA franchise remains the lowest performer by a considerable margin.

The Hunger Games opened in 2012 and grossed $408m from North America and $691.2m worldwide and series leader Catching Fire arrived in 2013, taking $424.7m in North America and $864.9m worldwide.

Fox-DreamWorks Animation’s Penguins Of Madagascar remained in second place – most of the top 10 did not change rank – on $11.1m for $49.6m after two weekends.

Fox’s horror film The Pyramid scored a weak number nine debut on $1.4m from 589 theatres.

Reese Witherspoon vehicle Wild opened through Fox Searchlight on $630,000 from 21 sites for a terrific $30,000 average.

New Regency’s Birdman in tenth place added $1.2m after expanding from 710 to 738 venues for $18.9m through Fox Searchlight. Nightcrawler has amassed $30m through Open Road after eight weekends.

This week’s wide releases are Fox’s Exodus: Gods And Kings with Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton and Chris Rock’s Toronto hit Big Five through Paramount.

Estimated Top 10 North America Dec 5-7, 2014
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (1) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Lionsgate) Lionsgate International $21.6m $257.7m

2 (2) Penguins Of Madagascar (Fox-Dreamworks Animation) Fox International $11.1m $49.6m

3 (5) Horrible Bosses 2 (Warner Bros) WBPI $8.6m $36.1m

4 (3) Big Hero 6 (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $8.1m $177.5m

5 (4) Interstellar (Paramount) Warner Bros Pictures International $8m $158.7m

6 (6) Dumb And Dumber To (Universal) Red Granite International $4.2m $78.1m

7 (7) The Theory Of Everything (Focus) $2.7m $13.6m

8 (8) Gone Girl (Fox) Fox International $1.5m $162.9m

9 (-) The Pyramid (Fox) Fox International $1.4m –

10 (9) Birdman (Fox Searchlight) Fox International $1.2m $18.9m