Look, I know we all want to talk aboutStar Wars: The Force Awakensbut we’re not quite there yet. Besides, most of the films in this weekend’s top ten have already been badly overshadowed byStar Wars 7, so why insult them further by stealing their last moment in the sun? Don’t worry, we’ll get to the force in just a bit.
But first, due homage must be paid to the current number one film in North America:Mockingjay – Part 2. The final chapter inThe Hunger Gamesfranchise took in an estimated $11.3 million this weekend, making it only the second film of 2015 to spend four consecutive weeks on top of the box office.Furious 7also had four in a row back in April, while, more recently,The Martiansecured four nonconsecutive number one titles.
At least in terms of box office wins,Mockingjay 2is now on par with 2012’sThe Hunger Games: the only other title in the franchise to rule the box office for four straight weeks. But after comparing actual grosses,Mockingjay 2still trails its predecessors. The film’s domestic total of $244.5 million is 12% behindMockingjay 1at the same point in its run, whilePart 2’s global earnings lag about $190 million behind the 2014 release’s final total.
After pulling out a narrow victory on Friday,In the Heart of the Seafell to second place on the weekend chart with an estimated $11 million. One week ago, the nautical drama was expected to sail into first place with at least $15 million. But that was before reviews for the film, directed byRon Howard, came flooding in. The film has a current Rotten Tomato score of 43%, though CinemaScore audiences gave it a more promising B+. Still, there’s little chance that enough people will findIn the Heart of the Seain time to counteract this opening, especially asthe film will lose most of its IMAX screens in just a few days.
With a reported budget of $100 million before marketing,In the Heart of the Seaappears to be another misstep for Warner Brothers. This year, the studio also brought us costly flops likePan, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.andJupiter Ascending, as well as the more modestly budgeted (though arguably more disappointing)Our Brand is Crisis. And don’t look for international grosses to keep this movie above water. After opening last weekend in 38 markets,In the Heart of the Seaadded just $18.5 million to its global total.
The good news for Warner Bros. is thatCreed(co-distributed by MGM) continues to put up strong numbers. FollowingSylvester Stallone’s Golden Globe nomination earlier this week,Creedwas off by just 32.5% in its third frame. Pixar’sThe Good Dinosauralso realized a strong hold (-31.5%), though it remains one of the lowest grossing releases in Pixar’s history.The Good Dinosauris one of only three of the studio’s sixteen features to not top $100 million after three weekends in wide release.
So now it’s time to speculate aboutStar Wars 7. The movie is still expected to surpassJurassic World’s $208 million to become the highest domestic debut of all time. At this point it looks like $225 million is the target projection, especially given the fact thatThe Force Awakenshas already racked up more than $50 million in advance ticket sales. Of course it goes without saying that an all-time opening record would also shatter the all-time record for December.
The current December title holder isThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeywith $84.6 million. Bilbo is clearly going down, but that all-time record is another story. If you remember the weekend of June 22, 2025, you’ll recall that a lot of people believed thatAvatarwas headed for a $100 million opening. Instead, the movie launched with a non-record setting $77 million. It was the weeks (months, really) to come that madeAvatarthe highest-grossing film of all time. The point is that December does not always produce the debuts that people expect. I believe thatThe Force Awakenswill prove an exception and set a new record, but I’m also prepared in case next Sunday’s estimate comes up a bit short – at say, $204 million? Either way, we’re clearly all over this one. We’ll definitely let you know what happens.
Here’s this weekend’s top ten, based on studio estimates:
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2
$11,300,000
In the Heart of the Sea
$11,005,000
The Good Dinosaur
$10,497,000
$10,120,000
$8,010,000
$4,000,000
The Night Before
$3,900,000
The Peanuts Movie
$2,650,000
$2,508,853
$1,975,000
