Holiday horror-comedy Krampus exceeded expectations as it debuted over the weekend, grossing $16 million from 2,902 theaters.
The newcomer, however, couldn’t beat the No.1 holdover The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, which took in an additional $18.6 million from 4,086 theaters for its third weekend out. The final installment in the action adventure franchise, starring Jennifer Laurence as the heroine Katniss Everdeen, has past the $500 million mark globally over the weekend, finishing with a worldwide grand total of $523.9 million.
“This weekend has an after-the-party feel, given that people really caught up on their moviegoing during the five-day Thanksgiving period,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with Rentrak.
“These two weekends are really the calm before storm, given the level of anticipation for ‘Star Wars,” he added. “It’s a smart move by Universal to get ‘Krampus’ out this weekend, which is a very different movie with a distinct fan base.”
Directed by Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat), the new horror film Krampus, based on German folklore, is about a boy (Emjay Anthony) who accidentally summons a demonic Santa Claus. With a cast including Toni Collette and Adam Scott, the thriller received a 66 percent “fresh” score from critics on RottenTomatoes.com and a B minus CinemaScore from audiences.
“Krampus was relatable to all age groups with exit polls indicating a nearly even audience split under and over the age of 21,” said Universal domestic distribution chief Nick Carpou. “Fact is, the strongest category was moviegoers under 15. As you might suspect, the mix of horror and humor played to all audiences and tied into a holiday theme, which resonated with younger moviegoers.”
Legendary and Universal’s Krampus beat the animated family film The Good Dinosaur, which is neck-and-neck with Warner Bros.’ Rocky reboot Creed for the third spot. Dinosaur took an estimated $15.51 million ($76 million total), while Creed took in $15.54 million ($65.1 million total).
“I thought both of these major films would hold on stronger. They both dropped in a way that was pretty surprising,” Bock says. “And Krampus took advantage of that. It was the right film at the right time. But, really, all discussion is about Star Wars right now.”
Rounding out the top five at the box office is Sony’s James Bond installment Spectre with $5.4 million for a domestic total of $184.5 million.
The weekend’s other new wide release was The Letters, starring Juliet Stevenson as Mother Teresa. The film bombed with $802,000 from 886 theaters, with a 31 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.
Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: December 4-6
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 — $18.6 million
- Krampus — $16 million
- Creed — $15.54 million
- The Good Dinosaur — $15.51 million
- Spectre — $5.43 million
- The Night Before — $4.9 million
- The Peanuts Movie — $3.53 million
- Spotlight — $2.93 million
- Brooklyn — $2.4 million
- The Secret In Their Eyes — $1.95 million
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