LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Exodus: Gods and Kings", an action-filled epic starring Christian Bale as Biblical leader Moses, marched to the top of U.S. and Canadian movie charts collecting $24.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend.
The flock of moviegoers for "Exodus" knocked "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" to second place, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak. The third film in the dystopian thriller series starring Jennifer Lawrence earned $13.2 million at domestic theaters, bringing its total to $277.4 million.
DreamWorks Animation film "Penguins of Madagascar" finished in the No. 3 spot with $7.3 million from Friday through Sunday.
"Exodus" and "Penguins of Madagascar" were distributed by 20th Century Fox, the movie studio owned by 21st Century Fox. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp released "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud; Editing by Stephen Powell)