The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Catching Fire Makes History: First Female-Led Movie to Win Box Office in 40 Years

Daniel Jacobson

Truth rating: 10

5:55 pm, January 10th, 2014

(Lionsgate)

(Lionsgate)

Jennifer Lawrence and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire have made history.

This week, the blockbuster ($409,392,651) officially edged past Iron Man 3 ($409,013,994) in the final box office tally for 2013, making it the #1 movie of the year.

It marks the first time in 40 years that a film headlined by a woman finished the year in the top spot.

In 1973, The Exorcist was the box office champ with young Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn in the leads, although their roles were virtually on par with that of the priests portrayed by Max von Sydow and Jason Miller.

While women have sometimes been co-leads in ensuing #1 movies (such as Kate Winslet in Titanic), it took until now for a movie with a clear female protagonist and marketing focus (Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire) to finish first.

It’s another big accomplishment for the Hunger Games franchise.

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Frozen Beats Catching Fire For Weekend Box Office

Daniel Jacobson

Truth rating: 10

1:36 pm, December 8th, 2013

BOX OFFICE

(Lionsgate/Disney)

(Lionsgate/Disney)

Frozen beat The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for box office supremacy this weekend.

The animated Disney film took in $31.6 million to secure the top spot.

Jennifer Lawrence’s sequel came in second with $27 million.

And Out of the Furnace, starring Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson, finished in a distant third with $5.3 million.

Thor: The Dark World and  Delivery Man came in fourth and fifth places with $4.7 million and $3.8 million, respectively.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Homefront ($3.4 million), The Book Thief ($2.8 million), The Best Man Holiday ($2.7 million), Philomena ($2.3 million), and Dallas Buyers Club ($1.5 million).

What did you see this weekend?

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Catching Fire Gobbles Up Thanksgiving Weekend Box Office, Breaks More Records

Daniel Jacobson

Truth rating: 10

11:23 am, December 1st, 2013

BOX OFFICE

(Lionsgate)

(Lionsgate)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire continued its box office rampage through the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The franchise blockbuster earned $110.2 million for the Wednesday-through-Sunday period, enough to stay atop the chart for a second consecutive week.

That amount also breaks previous 3-day and 5-day record totals for Thanksgiving weekend.

The new animated Disney film Frozen wrapped up second place with $90.6 million, earning the biggest Thanksgiving weekend opening ever.

Thor: The Dark World was #3 with $14.4 million, beating The Best Man Holiday ($11.8 million) and Delivery Man ($8.8 million).

Rounding out the Top 10 were new Jason Statham–James Franco release Homefront ($8.8 million), The Book Thief ($6 million), Black Nativity ($4 million), Philomena ($4 million), and Last Vegas ($3.6 million).

What did you see this holiday weekend?

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