The weekend box office emphasizes on the dethroning of the now regular first position by the newly arrived, Exodus: Gods and Kings. The lead shift started in the Friday of its release, when charts demonstrated that the Old Testament based picture was the one to replace The Hunger Games as the top position of the weekend box office. That the biblical movie was released in a large number of theaters – 3,503, is the first proof of its massive cashing, which took over the charts.
Overall estimates of the weekend box office are straightforward and demonstrate the visible difference between the first and second position. Exodus: Gods and Kings got a total of $24,500,000, whereas the last three weeks’ favorite, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 barely reached a total of $13,200,000, which is almost half of the lead’s cash in. Daily charts give the movie combat accuracy, as Mojo.com reads: Friday – $8,775,000 (Exodus) versus $3,770,000 (Mockingjay), Saturday – $9,150,000 (Exodus) versus $5,780,000 (Mockingjay) and Sunday $6,575,000 (Exodus) versus $3,650,000 (Mockingjay). Although the Moses and Ramses movie met with a downfall in numbers on Sunday estimates, it still obviously topped the adventurous Hunger Games in the weekend box office.
On a less joyous note for the Ridley Scott movie,Variety traced the numbers of other religious-themed productions and it seems that Exodus is the last in line: ‘’Its opening also fell short of the launches of other religious-themed films such as Noah ($43.7 million), Son of God ($25.6 million) and The Passion of the Christ ($83.8 million)’’. Hope is not lost, all religious controversy aside, the picture might score higher overseas and the Christmas holiday is likely to bring a large number of people into the theaters.
Although dethroned, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 kept a respectable second position at the weekend box office with the already mentioned total of $13,200,000. Number three was occupied by Penguins of Madagascar, with a gaining of $7,300,000. The following position was taken by another 12 December release, Top Five. The movie is a Chris Rock comedy tracing the life of a comedian wanting to become an actor and Rock is highly involved in the making of the movie. He appears as director, writer and lead of the movie, as plays Andre Allen. The following and last place in the top five films chart of the weekend box office was taken by once lead animation Big Hero 6, with the total sum of $6,145,000.
Top five titles of the weekend box office of 12-14 December 2014:
1. Exodus: Gods and Kings – $24,500,000
2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – $13,200,000
3. Penguins of Madagascar – $7,300,000
4. Top Five – $7,210,000
5. Big Hero 6 – $6,145,000