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    “Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” Tops Box Office For 2nd Straight Weekend

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2180 Views
    This photo provided by Lionsgate shows, Liam Hemsworth, left, as Gale Hawthorne, Sam Clafin, back left, as Finnick Odair, Evan Ross, back right, as Messalia, and Jennifer Lawrence, right, as Katniss Everdeen, in the film, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2." (Murray Close/Lionsgate via AP)

    Finishes ahead of "The Good Dinosaur" and "Creed," which also perform well in their debuts

    By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Despite some mighty competition, Katniss and her crew dominated the box office once again.

    "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" held on to its first-place spot in its second weekend in theaters, earning $51.6 million to top "The Good Dinosaur" and "Creed," which both debuted Wednesday, according to Rentrak estimates on Sunday.

    The fourth and final installment in Lionsgate's highly successful series has grossed $198.3 million to date.

    Audiences had their pick of genres over the crowded Thanksgiving weekend. Disney and Pixar's animated dinosaur movie took second place, bringing in $39.2 million Friday through Sunday, while "Creed," a new entry into the Rocky Balboa canon, came in third with $30.1 million.

    Families accounted for 79 percent of "The Good Dinosaur's" audience. The film, which cost a reported $175 million to $200 million to produce, grossed $55.6 million in its first five days in theaters.

    "This Pixar group has just been so consistent with high-quality storytelling that appeals to all audiences. This weekend's result is another testament to the way they do things," said Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Disney. "We are off and running in a great way and also set up for a very, very long run."

    "Creed," meanwhile, came out swinging. The critically acclaimed Ryan Coogler-directed film focuses on the character of Apollo Creed's son, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) who wants his own shot in the ring with the help of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). The film cost $35 million to make and has earned $42.6 million over five days.

    Its audience has been largely male and over age 25, according to exit polls.

    "This is a movie that played broadly everywhere. You expect it to do well in the big markets and even the medium-size markets, but the small markets were just fantastic," said Jeffrey Goldstein, executive vice president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. "The boxing element really resonates."

    Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Rentrak, said the indie sensibilities, critical response and stellar cast has made "Creed" the movie to see right now.

    "This is a movie that's going to go the distance," Dergarabedian said.

    James Bond film "Spectre," with $12.8 million, and "The Peanuts Movie," with $9.7 million, rounded out the top five.

    "Victor Frankenstein" was not so lucky. The $40 million revival of Mary Shelley's monster classic, starring James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe, proved lifeless in theaters, earning just $2.35 million from Friday to Sunday.

    Awards hopeful "The Danish Girl," starring Eddie Redmayne as the transgender artist Lili Elbe, also opened in four theaters with a solid $185,000.

    No records were broken this Thanksgiving weekend, but that's more of a sign of a crowded slate than the health of the box office, Dergarabedian said.

    "Rankings are not as important this weekend as how these films can play for the long haul," he said. "I haven't seen this crowded of a marketplace in years. … I don't know how anyone would have time to see everything."

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1."The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2," $51.6 million ($62 million international).

    2."The Good Dinosaur," $39.2 million ($28.7 million international).

    3."Creed," $30.1 million ($2.3 million international).

    4."Spectre," $12.8 million ($30.4 million international).

    5."The Peanuts Movie," $9.7 million.

    6."The Night Before," $8.2 million.

    7."The Secret In Their Eyes," $4.5 million.

    8."Spotlight," $4.5 million.

    9."Brooklyn," $3.8 million.

    10."The Martian," $3.3 million ($51.4 million international).

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Rentrak:

    1. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2," $62 million.

    2. "The Martian," $51.4 million.

    3. "Spectre," $30.4 million.

    4. "The Good Dinosaur," $28.7 million.

    5. "Our Times," $13 million.

    6. "Victor Frankenstein," $10 million.

    7. "Inside Men," $9.7 million.

    8. "Bridge of Spies," $7 million.

    9. "The Vanished Murderer," $6 million.

    10. "Spanish Affair 2," $5.7 million.

    Category:News
    Tags:box officeCreedThe Good DinosaurThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2



    A Closer Look At Proposed Measures Designed To Curb Google’s Search Monopoly

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.

    The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google's business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser and syndicating its search data to competitors. Even if the courts adopt the blueprint, Google isn't likely to make any significant changes until 2026 at the earliest, because of the legal system's slow-moving wheels.

    Here's what it all means:

    What is the Justice Department's goal?
    Federal prosecutors are cracking down on Google in a case originally filed during near the end of then-President Donald Trump's first term. Officials say the main goal of these proposals is to get Google to stop leveraging its dominant search engine to illegally squelch competition and stifle innovation.

    "The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired," the Justice Department asserted in its recommendations. "The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages."

    Not surprisingly, Google sees things much differently. The Justice Department's "wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court's decision," Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer, asserted in a blog post. "It would break a range of Google products — even beyond search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."

    It's still possible that the Justice Department could ease off on its attempts to break up Google, especially if President-elect Donald Trump... Read More

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