Latest ‘Hunger Games’ Falling Short of Opening Weekend Estimates

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., the independent studio behind the hugely successful “Hunger Games” adventure films franchise, said the fourth and final installment of the series will bring in about $102 million in North American box-office sales in its opening weekend, short of analysts’ estimates of at least $117 million.

The company said Saturday that “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2” opened as No. 1 in 84 of 89 markets worldwide, with “strong performances” in territories including Germany, the U.K., Mexico and Brazil. The studio, based in Santa Monica, California, predicted a worldwide gross of $251 million in the three-day opening weekend. The first three films in the series have generated global sales of $2.3 billion, according to researcher Box Office Mojo.