The Weekend Report

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 made the hat trick as it topped session moviegoing with an estimated $21.7 million. In what’s been traditionally one of the slowest weekends on the calendar. Distribution propped up the self-fulfilling prophecy by largely avoiding new product apart from low-budget horror adventure The Pyramid that grossed only $1.3 million.

On the bright side, limited launch of Wild opened to a sturdy $622,000 from 21 screens and The Imitation Game continued to post strong numbers with the addition of four engagements. The significant expansion of The Homesman also generated OK results.

In the niches, Bollywood provided Action Jackson, which grossed a less-than-stellar $167,000. The situation was marginally better for Past Tense on the Filipino circuit, with boxoffice of $121,000 at 50 venues. In Canada, homegrown comedy Corner Gas raised few laughs with a $152,000 tally from 96 playdates and Serena, the Bradley Cooper-Jennifer Lawrence drama (not slated for U.S. theatrical), had a dull $54,800 bow from 38 locations.

Session revenues grossed close to $80 million to rank as the second lowest weekend of 2014 following the frame after Labor Day. It was a 54% tumble from seven days earlier and trailed 2013 by 19%. A year back the second weekend of Frozen led with $31.6 million to Catching Fire’s $26.2 million.

The industry has for decades thrown up its hands and abandoned the first week of December as a lost cause for movie attendance. The last major release that tried to buck the trend was Disclosure a full two decades ago in 1994, and while it opened well the verdict was its ultimate gross was stifled even in a much different marketplace. So it’s an opportunity for majors to dump its “losers” and this year that was The Pyramid, with “high-end” expectations of $1.5 million.

The schedule will resume next weekend, with Christmas Day jammed with major releases and strategic Oscar-qualifying runs to stuff stockings.

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