“Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1” scores $152M at foreign box office

PanARMENIAN.Net - “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” showed signs of wear and tear in its domestic debut, but overseas the franchise is still a sleek and powerful machine. The latest chapter in the dystopian future series scored $152 million across 85 foreign territories. Globally, its total stands at a massive $275 million, Variety reports.

“Mockingjay – Part 1′s” $123 million stateside debut trailed the $150 million-plus launches of the two films that came before it, but its foreign bow is a 4% improvement on that of its predecessor, “Catching Fire.” Among notable markets, “Mockingjay – Part 1″ scored $19.9 million from the United Kingdom, $13.7 million from Germany, $10.1 million from Australia and $11.1 million from Russia, where the film enjoyed a 19% bump on “Catching Fire’s” inaugural weekend. The foreign rollout is the widest in the history of Lionsgate, the studio behind the franchise.

“Mockingjay – Part 1″ wasn’t the only film to enjoy a warmer embrace from foreign crowds than domestic ones. “Interstellar” hit the $450 million mark this weekend, propelled by overseas moviegoers. The space adventure earned $70 million from foreign markets, and $329 million of its $450 million total has come from international territories.

In third place, “Fury” right on its tail. The World War II tank drama earned $12.4 million, pushing its global total to $153.3 million.

Hot on its trail, Hong Kong martial arts film “Rise of the Legend” snagged $11.9 million in its first weekend in China. The tank drama earned $11 million, pushing its global total to $149 million.

Fifth place finisher “Penguins of Madagascar” continued to get a jump on its domestic release next week, picking up $8.7 million from its release in China. The film snagged third place in the People’s Republic, behind “Interstellar” and “Rise of the Legend.” The animated spinoff of the “Madagascar” franchise has earned $23.3 million so far. U.S. audiences get to check out the cuddly critters for themselves when “Penguins of Madagascar” debuts next week.