The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay-1 opens at franchise low

        A scene from the movie's trailer

Early Friday projections show Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1" heading for an opening weekend of about $125 million in the U.S.; significantly lower than recent forecasts and over 20% below the

first two “Hunger Games” movies. 

However, international box office for the first part of the “Hunger Games” finale is up 5% to 10% above last year’s “Catching Fire” with more than $33 million in two days. 

The U.S. opening day grosses for “Mockingjay,” according to early estimates, will likely reach $54 million, including $17 million from Thursday night showings, followed by about $43 million on Saturday and another $29 million on Sunday. 

Should those numbers hold, the U.S. opening weekend for “Mockingjay” would finish far below 2012′s “The Hunger Games” with $152 million and last year’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” with $158 million. Box office trackers had

expected “Mockingjay” to finish between $130 million and $150 million in the U.S. Still, a $125 million U.S. opening for

“Mockingjay” would be the biggest 2014 launch by far, easily topping the $100 million mark set by “Transformers: Age of Extinction” in June.

Only 15 other films have opened at over

$120 million domestically, led by the $207 million for “Marvel’s The Avengers” in 2012. 

Thursday night’s business for “Mockingjay” was 33% behind last year’s massive $25.3 million Thursday night launch for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and 14% below the $19.7 million

earned by the first “Hunger Games” on its first night of release in March, 2012. 

Lionsgate’s stock dipped 5% Friday after the estimates were released.

Source: Variety