Exodus wins modest US session on $24.5m

Chris Rock’s Top Five arrived in fourth place on $7.2m from 979 theatres through Paramount as Wild surged into the top ten through Fox Searchlight and Inherent Vice delivered a spectacular limited debut via Warner Bros.

Top Five made headlines back in September for injecting life into an otherwise subdued Toronto opening weekend, prompting Paramount to pounce on world rights.

Rock stars alongside Rosario Dawson and the broad comedy averaged $7,365 per venue.

Wild starring Golden Globe nominee Reese Witherspoon climbed five places to number 10 after expanding from 21 to 115 sites in the second session. An estimated $1.6m elevated the tally to $2.4m.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 fell to number two on $13.2m for $277.4m through Lionsgate, while Penguins Of Madagascar ranks third through Fox on $7.3m for $58.8m after three.

Disney’s Big Hero 6 ranks fifth on $185.3m after six weekends and Interstellar in sixth place has amassed $166.8m through Paramount within the same period.

Inherent Vice, the Paul Thomas Anderson adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s drug-infused, 1970-set noir starring Joaquin Phoenix, arrived outside the top ten on $330,000 from five venues for a $66,000 average.

Birdman ranks 11th and added $1.3m for $20.8m after nine weekends through Fox Searchlight. Gone Girl has generated $164.4m through Fox after 11, Foxcatcher $3.4m through SPC after five and Whiplash $4.8m through SPC after ten.

Overall the top 12 finished 10.6% ahead of last weekend but trailed the comparable session in 2013 by 45%.

This week brings huge potential. The wide releases are Warner Bros-New Line-MGM’s The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom; Fox’s Night At The Museum; Secret Of The Tomb starring Ben Stiller and the late Robin Williams; and Columbia’s Annie adaptation with Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale and Cameron Diaz.

Estimated Top 10 North America Dec 12-14, 2014
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (-) Exodus: Gods And Kings (Fox) Fox International $24.5m –

2 (1) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Lionsgate) Lionsgate International $13.2m $277.4m

3 (2) Penguins Of Madagascar (Fox-Dreamworks Animation) Fox International $7.3m $58.8m

4 (-) Top Five (Paramount) Paramount Pictures International $7.2m –

5 (4) Big Hero 6 (Buena Vista) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International  $6.1m $185.3m

6 (5) Interstellar (Paramount) Warner Bros Pictures International $5.5m $166.8m

7 (3) Horrible Bosses 2 (Warner Bros) Warner Bros Pictures International $4.6m $43.6m

8 (6) Dumb And Dumber To (Universal) Red Granite International $2.8m $82.1m

9 (7) The Theory Of Everything (Focus) Universal Pictures International $2.5m $17.1m

10 (15) Wild (Fox Searchlight) Fox International $1.6m $2.4m