The Hunger Games has turned the box office into its own personal fixed game over the past month, stomping on every new film that has attempted to oust it from the top spot. The latest victims, The Three Stooges and The Cabin in the Woods, put up a valiant fight on Friday, but ultimately Jennifer Lawrence and her fellow combatants proved too hot to handle.
In its fourth weekend of release, The Hunger Games finished first for the 22nd straight day on Friday with an estimated $6.45 million in earnings. In each of the past three weekends, the Lionsgate juggernaut has picked up steam on Saturday and Sunday. This weekend should prove no different, putting the film on track to earn north of $22 million.
The Hunger Games gross domestic total now stands at approximately $322 million. That’s 26th on the all-time list. Spots 25 and 24, held by Shrek the Third and Forrest Gump, respectively, are expected to give way to the denizens of Panem by Sunday.
The Three Stooges laughed up $5.65 million on its opening day, good enough for second place and a long shot at $20 million through the weekend. With a budget of only $30 million, the Farrelly Brothers’ Stooges are off to a strong enough start to exceed that budget by the time the film exits theaters.
The other newcomer, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods, celebrated Friday the 13th with a mediocre $5.5 million opening day tally. The long-delayed film should wrap up its first weekend around $14 million.
Fourth place on Friday went to American Reunion in its second weekend with $3.4 million, while Titanic 3D splashed up $3.36 million.
The final newcomer, Lockout, might as well as had its doors locked with a paltry $2.23 opening day gross. It will be lucky to reach $7 million through Sunday.
Stop back Sunday afternoon to see if The Three Stooges can pull off the box office upset and unseat The Hunger Games from its perch.
