Battle at the Box Office 12/15

Exodus: Gods and Kings was the movie that finally unseated Mockingjay Part 1 this weekend, although Ridley Scott’s latest epic didn’t really set the world on fire.  The movie made $24.5 million, which is pretty low for a movie with an almost $200 million budget.  It’s somewhere in the middle range for Ridley Scott movies, between his previous historical epics Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven.  Compared to the string of Biblical movies we saw this year, it’s actually below Noah and Son of God, the latter of which was a clumsily edited History Channel special put into theaters.  With 6 movies hitting leading up to Christmas, it’s probably going to be a struggle for Exodus to break even or make enough to be considered a success.

Mockingjay Part 1 dropped to second with another $13.2 million, putting it over $277 million for it’s four weeks out and it will definitely be one of the highest grossing movies of the year.

Penguins of Madagascar took in another $7.3 million and took third and is lower than where Rise of Guardians was at the same point in it’s run, so it may end up being a disappointment for Dreamworks.

Chris Rock’s latest Top Five took fourth with $7.2 million at 979 theaters.  It’s much higher than the last movie Rock directed and starred in, “I Think I Love My Wife” and has strong reviews, so if it expands wider it could move up or stay strong in the next week.

Big Hero 6 rounded out the top 5 with another $6.1 million, putting it just over $185 million.

In limited release at 116 theaters, Reese Witherspoon’s Wild took tenth with $1.5 million and is going to expand nationwide on the 19th.