DHAKA: With no other new wide releases at USA box office this weekend, the Lionsgate franchise film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is poised to have the biggest opening of the year.
The third entry in the massively successful Hunger Games franchise opened at 4,151 theaters across USA on Friday. The movie is likely to score the best debut since its predecessor, Catching Fire, debuted to $158 million on this same weekend last year.
The studio expects the film will pull in between $130 million to $150 million -- but some analysts think it could gross a whopping $170 million. Lionsgate also anticipates it will catch fire overseas as it opens in 85 international markets this weekend.
Movie ticket seller website Fandango reported that Mockingjay is the biggest advanced ticket seller of the year so far. The biggest opening of the year so far is Transformers: Age of Extinction's $100 million; if Mockingjay fell short of that number, it would be a massive disappointment.
Outside USA, Mockingjay - Part 1 was released on November 19 and November 20 at different countries including UK, Norway and others.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Trailer
Movie Story
Based on the bestselling young-adult novels by Suzanne Collins, the “Hunger Games” movies have been big hits for the Santa Monica-based studio.
The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (in Picture)
Cast
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
Julianne Moore as President Coin
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee
Jeffrey Wright as Beetee
Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair
Jena Malone as Johanna Mason
Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman
Donald Sutherland as President Snow
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone. Lionsgate presents, a Color Force / Lionsgate production. Running time: 2 hours 3 minutes.
Sources, Photos: New York Times, Box Office Mojo, Los Angeles Times, Lions Gate Entertainment.
BDST: 1950 HRS, NOV 21, 2014
