‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1’ To Be Highest Grossing Film Of 2014?

It is no secret that the Hollywood box office has been facing a steady year-by-year decline. 2014, however, will face the largest decline in nine years, with a five percent decrease in ticket sales compared to 2013, according to the Hollywood Reporter. All that aside, the year was still a relative success for studios like Marvel and Lionsgate, with their respective superhero and Hunger Games franchises bringing in enough money to make the year worthwhile. So which 2014 film is looking to be the highest performer in the United States? That would be The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, Movie Pilot reports.

This requires a bit of explanation. As 2014 is already a year that has come and gone, the winner should already be declared, correct? As Box Office Mojo shows, Guardians of the Galaxy seems to be the clear frontrunner of the year, with nearly $333 million in ticket sales — which is within stone-throwing distance of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1’s $319 million. So how is it that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 is still in the running? It’s actually quite simple. The film was released in 2014, and therefore all its profits register as a part of the 2014 domestic gross for the film.

With all this in mind, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 is on track to boot Guardians of the Galaxy from the number 1 spot soon. Currently, Mockingjay, Part 1 is at a 43-day total of $319 million. This is a significant step above Guardians, which clocked in at just under $300 million at a similar 43 days. Barring any trend anomalies, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 will easily become the top domestic grossing film of 2014. While this is, by no means, a huge surprise, this success does come on the heels of a relatively soft opening for the film.

Last year, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire demolished the box office with $424 million in sales. Taking into account this strong entry, predictions for Mockingjay, Part 1 were understandably higher than how the film ended up performing. Many had forecasted an opening north of $150 million, so it was a huge surprise when the film stumbled in at a modest $122 million opening. However, when all said and done, it is still safe to label Mockingjay, Part 1 as a relative success — despite not meeting overall franchise expectations. In a world of blockbuster franchises and event films, rising to the top of such a crowd-pleasing fare is no small task.

What are your thoughts on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 being on track to snatch the number 1 spot from Guardians of the Galaxy? Is it well-deserved? Let us know your thoughts down below!

[Images courtesy of Lionsgate and Marvel Studios]