Mockingjay – Part 2 shoots to the top of the box office but is below target
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, has shot to number one at the US box office on its opening weekend, taking $101m (£66.6m).
But it was the quietest first weekend for the series, which began in 2012. The first film took $152.5m (£100.6m), the second $158.1m (£104m) and 2014’s Mockingjay – Part 1, $121.9m (£80m).
“When a franchise is this popular and this successful in this short a time, expectations run very high,” said Rentrak analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
“If we live in a world where a $100m opening is a disappointment, that’s pretty crazy.”
James Bond film Spectre was second on this week’s US box office chart, with $14. 6m (£9.6m), followed by The Peanuts movie with $12.8m (£8.4m).
The weekend was down 11% from last year but Dergarabedian said: “We’re in the home stretch, but remember – we have a little secret weapon in Star Wars.”