NORTH AMERICA: ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’ Targets $264.2M in Three Weeks

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 grossed $1.43 million on Thursday to lead the daily box office for a 21st straight day. With the release of Fox’s Exodus: Gods and Kings today, Mockingjay – Part 1 is expected to fall to second place this weekend. The third installment of Lionsgate’s blockbuster franchise was up 3 percent from Wednesday and down a solid 38 percent from last Thursday. Mockingjay – Part 1 was the week’s top film with a weekly take of $28.07 million. That was down 58 percent from the previous week and brings the film’s three-week total to $264.19 million. Mockingjay – Part 1 is running 23 percent behind the $343.83 million 21-day take of last year’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Paramount’s Interstellar was up one spot from Wednesday to move into second on Thursday with $0.694 million. The Christopher Nolan directed sci-fi film was up 1 percent over Wednesday and down a healthy 21 percent from last Thursday. Interstellar took fourth place this week with $10.64 million. The film was down 45 percent from last week and has grossed $161.29 million after 35 days of wide release. Interstellar will likely hold up well this weekend, before taking a significant hit from the arrival from Warner’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies on Wednesday.

Warner’s Horrible Bosses 2 was down one spot from Wednesday to land in third with $0.688 million. The R-rated comedy sequel fell 5 percent from Wednesday and 35 percent from last Thursday. Horrible Bosses 2 placed in third for the week with $11.49 million. That was down a respectable 43 percent from the previous frame and brings the film’s 16-day total to $38.97 million. Horrible Bosses 2 is running a very disappointing 51 percent behind the $79.14 million 16-day take of 2011’s Horrible Bosses.

Penguins of Madagascar held steady in fourth with $0.511 million. The 3D computer animated film from Fox and DreamWorks Animation was unchanged from Wednesday and was down just 21.5 percent from last Thursday. Penguins of Madagascar claimed second for the week with $13.05 million. That represented a 54 percent decline from the previous week and brings the film’s 16-day total to $51.54 million. The film is running 12 percent behind the $58.76 million 16-day take of 2011’s The Muppets.

Fellow 3D computer animated film Big Hero 6 rounded out Thursday’s top five with $0.429 million. The successful Disney release was up 6 percent over Wednesday and down a slim 11 percent from last Thursday. Big Hero 6 placed in fifth for the week with $9.76 million. The film was down 53.5 percent from last week and has grossed a strong $179.18 million in 35 days.