'Mockingjay Pt. 1's Box Office Numbers Are Telling

Well, it seems like quite a few people made good use of this list of excuses to skip work and go see Mockingjay Part 1. Per Entertainment Weekly, the latest installment of The Hunger Games' super popular film franchise reached $55 million at the box office on opening weekend, proving that plenty of people couldn't wait to see exactly what goes down in District 13 in Mockingjay Part 1. Not only did those outstanding ticket sales propel the film to the number one spot and in the process, but they also earned the film 2014's best opening day honors.

As impressive as those numbers are, Box Office Mojo highlights the fact that the previous Hunger Game s films had better opening weekends. In 2012, The Hunger Games opened with $67.5 million, while Catching Fire followed up in 2013 by raking in $71 million. However, that still shouldn't detract from Mockingjay Part 1's record-breaking weekend success.

When you think about it, though, the fact that this film is doing so well in the box office already really isn't the most shocking news, considering the feverish anticipation that led up to its release. The posters and trailers for Mockingjay Part 1 have had fans practically salivating for months. Their intensity made it virtually impossible to resist the lure of wanting to find out precisely how Peeta obtained these awful-looking injuries, or just what happened with Katniss and the creepy white rose encounter. And personally, word of Lorde's contribution to the soundtrack sent me over the edge.

So sure, those opening weekend numbers might've taken a considerable dip compared to Mockingjay's predecessors, but with people deeming Josh Hutcherson's performance as Oscar-worthy and a growing portion of the population naming their kids Katniss, I'd say we can all hold off on pressing the panic button for now. Mockingjay Part 1 still outperformed the other films that were released the same weekend by a huge margin, and, judging by its dedicated fanbase, the hunger for this franchise won't subside any time soon.