Guess that boycott didn't quite work. Exodus: Gods and Kings, the film which drew controversy for casting mainly white actors to play biblical heroes, topped this weekend’s box office with a $24.5 million debut.
The film, starring Christian Bale as Moses, also opened in several international territories to earn $43.3 million around the globe. The numbers don't qualify it as a blockbuster by any stretch, however, and the film has a long way to go facing stiff competition to recoup its $140 million budget.
Exodus did manage to unseat The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, which has held first place for the previous three weekends in a row, from the top spot. The Jennifer Lawrence-starrer came in second place with $13.2 million, bringing its domestic total $277.4 million.
Coming in third place was Penguins of Madagascar, which brought in $7.3 million in its third week. Rounding out the top five were Chris Rock‘s Top Five, which opened in limited release and will expand into more theaters after the new year, and the animated flick Big Hero 6, earning $7.2 million and $6.5 million, respectively.
Next week, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Annie will all attempt to take Exodus down.
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