Mockingjay soars at box office

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 has made a triumphant debut at the US box office.

The futuristic fantasy picture, which is based on the book trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, earned domestic gross profits of $123 million over the weekend.

This third feature in the Lionsgate franchise took in more than any other movie this year on its opening day. And Variety reports that so far the entire collection of films has made $1.5 billion internationally since the first picture, The Hunger Games, was released in 2012.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss in Mockingjay - Part 1 with a number of stars comprising the cast, including Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. In this instalment of the series, Katniss questions whether to become the figurehead of a revolution after destroying the games.

In its third week at the box office, family film Big Hero 6 placed second this weekend, raking in $20 million. The animated Disney picture centres on the tight bond between scientific prodigy Hiro Hamada and his inflatable robot Baymax. Together, they team up with other characters to form a dynamic group of super heroes.

Director Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic Interstellar secured third place at the weekend earning $15.1 million in gross profits. The picture, which boasts an all-star lineup including Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey, David Oyelowo and Ellen Burstyn, debuted in American theatres November 7. And since its first day at the box office, Interstellar has taken in over $120 million in ticket sales.