It should come as no surprise that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 is tracking to have one of the biggest opening weekends of the year.
Francis Lawrence’s first instalment in the franchise’s two-part finale has been turning heads left, right, and center with its long-running marketing campaign, and according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, the film has a chance of emulating Catching Fire’s $158.2 million opening in North America if early numbers are any indication.
Currently, THR has early tracking pegged between $130 and $150 million. But with three weeks still to go between now and the film’s release, there’s every chance that the figure could swell.
The big question for the Jennifer Lawrence-led series is whether Mockingjay — Part 1 will be the first entry into the YA franchise to break the $1 billion milestone at the global box office. Catching Fire came close, raking in a total of $864 million, but if early word proves to be on its side, the third chapter could be Lionsgate’s billion-dollar baby for 2014. After all, it’s almost inevitable that the threequel will draw in crowds throughout the holiday season — because nothing says Christmas like political upheaval.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 will soar into theaters on November 21st, 2014.
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 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.