Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 dominates US box office with $100 million... as Julia Roberts has worst opening with Secrets In Their Eyes at $6.6m

Published: 17:38 EST, 22 November 2015 | Updated: 19:47 EST, 22 November 2015

View
comments

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 dominated the North American box office over the weekend although its domestic gross of $101 million was a disappointment.

The final installment is the lowest opener of the four Hunger Games films, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and debuted with $20 million less than Mockingjay - Part 1 that was released on the same weekend a year ago.

Julia Roberts also had a bad weekend - her thriller The Secrets In Their Eyes tanked with just $6.6 million, the worst opening of her career.

Number one: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 grossed $100 million in its opening weekend in North America

The fourth Hunger Games film starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth had been expected to bow with at least the same gross as the 2014 film, that opened with $121.9 million.

By comparison, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire debuted in 2013 with $158 million in North America.

The original opened with $152 million in 2012, making history as the biggest movie opening with a female lead ever.

Still, a $100 million opening is nothing to be sneezed at.

Lionsgate’s domestic distribution chief David Spitz was upbeat, telling Variety: 'It’s a phenomenal opening and we launched these movies at this time consciously knowing there’d be a lucrative long run way through the holidays.'

Disappointed: The fourth and final installment of the franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence, pictured left, and Liam Hemsworth, far right, opened below expectations and with the least take of all four movies

Bombed: Julia Roberts, pictured with co-star Chiwetel Efjiofor, had the worst film opening of her career, with the thriller The Secrets In Their Eyes bowing in fifth place with just $6.6 million

Julia Roberts' remake of the Argentinean Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar winner severely disappointed in its wide release, failing to interest the movie-going public.

The actress starred with Nicole Kidman and British actor Chiwetel Efjiofor in the dark thriller about a FBI Agent whose daughter is murdered and who seek revenge when a clue to who did it surfaces years later.

It's the latest high-profile star vehicle to crash and burn this year: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's By The Sea sank without trace last week.

Popular: Seth Rogern's holiday-themed comedy The Night Before opened in fourth place with a first weekend gross of $10 million. Rogen is pictured center with co-stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie

The Secret In Their Eyes premiered in fifth place in the box office top 10 behind Mockingjay - Part 2, Spectre, that grossed another $14.6 million and The Peanuts Movie, with $12.8 million, and new release The Night Before.

The raunchy Seth Rogen comedy with a holiday theme bowed with $10 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are Love The Coopers, in sixth place, followed by The Martian, Spotlight, The 33 and Bridge Of Spies.

In limited release, the lesbian period drama Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, opened in four theatres in New York and Los Angeles and performed well.

Art film: Lesbian drama Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, opened in four theatres in New York and Los Angeles, making it eligible for Oscar consideration, and attracted adult audiences