BOX OFFICE REPORT (NOV. 15-17): With 'The Hunger Games' Looming, 'Thor' Scores Another Victory

Did everyone enjoy the last weekend before The Hunger Games: Catching Fire hits theaters? Hopefully you made the most of it, since the Jennifer Lawrence sequel is going to absolutely dominate at the box office next weekend, with my guess being somewhere around $175 million neighborhood. The first movie in the Hunger Games franchise opened to $152.54 million last year. Between inflation and the increased popularity of both the franchise and Lawrence, I would be surprised if Catching Fire didn't trump the opening gross of its predecessor.

1. Thor: The Dark World (1st)
Weekend gross: $38.45 million / Total domestic gross: $146.97 million / 
Percent drop: 55.1
Speaking of predecessors, Thor: The Dark World is now within $35 million of Thor's domestic gross, with the latest installment already passing The Incredible Hulk's lifetime domestic gross to move up the Marvel Cinematic Universe's rankings. Thor: The Dark World is already more than $27 million ahead of Thor through two weekends. I'd say that we should start expecting Thor 3 to get announced, but with the way Marvel has built its Cinematic Universe, another Thor movie probably wouldn't happen until Phase Four, which wouldn't start until at least 2018.

2. The Best Man Holiday (NR)

Weekend gross: $30.59 million / Total domestic gross: $30.59 million / 
Percent drop: 43.5
During its entire lifetime, The Best Man only made $34.57 million worldwide, so an opening weekend domestic gross of $30.59 million for The Best Man Holiday is pretty great. Of course, the original opened in 1999 and the box office was a different creature back then, but this is still an impressive opening.

3. Last Vegas (4th)

Weekend gross: $8.85 million / Total domestic gross: $46.96 million / 
Percent drop: 19.8
Due to the fact that I had already seen everything the movie theater across the street from my apartment was showing, I wound up seeing Last Vegas last week. I take back the mean things I said about it — Last Vegas was harmless, mainly due to the movie avoiding many of the old-person humor traps I thought it would fall into.

4. Free Birds (3rd)

Weekend gross: $8.30 million / Total domestic gross: $42.22 million / 
Percent drop: 25.3
Thanksgiving isn't even here yet, and the world has already forgotten about Free Birds.

5. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2nd)

Weekend gross: $7.67 million / Total domestic gross: $90.20 million / 
Percent drop: 32.3

If Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa can stick around for a few more weeks, it has a shot at becoming the highest-grossing Jackass movie. Jackass 3-D grossed $117.23 million domestically in 2010.

Next week's predictions

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

2. Thor: The Dark World

3. Delivery Man

4. The Best Man Holiday

5. Last Vegas

SOURCE: Box Office Mojo