It took the actions of a bearded man who controls many people with just one word – Ridley Scott, that is – to unseat The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 from the top spot at the US box office as Exodus: Gods And Kings swept into the charts across the pond, according to studio estimates.
Despite mixed reviews and a casting controversy, Scott’s latest came out of the gate strong (although not as powerfully as 20th Century Fox would have liked) with $24.5 million in the States and more than $74 million worldwide to date, as the new cinematic take on the Moses story opened in several international territories alongside its Stateside arrival. It hasn't shown the same opening power as fellow Biblical tale Noah, which arrived to $43.7 million earlier in the year, and it will have to prove it has similar legs.
Katniss and co. fell to second place, adding $13.2 million for a $277.3 million total in the US to date. Those Penguins Of Madagascar also took a knock, falling to third with $7.3 million. The only other wide release new entry was Chris Rock’s latest, the critically-lauded Top Five, which landed in fourth with $7.2 million, a close call which could see it trading places with the Penguins when the final figures arrive. Rounding out the top five was Disney’s Big Hero 6, which made $6.1 million and is now past $185.3 million in the States.
Interstellar was pushed to sixth, adding $5.5 million to its total, while Horrible Bosses 2 took a tumble from third to seventh, earning $4.6 million. Fellow comedy **Dumb And Dumber To **was down to eighth place with $2.7 million, with **The Theory Of Everything **slipping two places to ninth on $2.5 million and Reese Witherspoon drama Wild hiking into the top 10 after expanding its release, earning $1.5 million.
To see Pharaoh exiling Katniss Everdeen in the full chart listings, head to Box Office Mojo.