Lionsgate's highly anticipated release opens to $155 million (€116.9 million) domestically

Mar 26, 2012 08:38 GMT  ·  By
“The Hunger Games” makes a killing at the US box office in its opening week
   “The Hunger Games” makes a killing at the US box office in its opening week

They didn't call it the most anticipated movie of 2012 for nothing: “The Hunger Games” is officially the third biggest opening in US ever, grossing $155 million (€116.9 million) over the weekend.

Figures cited by The Box Office Mojo indicate that “Hunger” is the third most popular film to have come out in the US, after “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” and “The Dark Knight.”

Its total cume is of $214.3 million (€161.65 million) in its opening weekend but industry insiders estimate greater things to come, since the film isn't even out in most territories.

While setting a new record for the third biggest opening in the US, the film also marks a new milestone for Lionsgate: “Hunger Games” has surpassed “Fahrenheit 9/11” in domestic sales on the first week.

“Remarkably, it debuted above all of the Twilight movies, and it also topped Alice in Wonderland ($116.1 million / €87.5 million) for highest debut ever for a non-sequel,” BOM reports.

The comparison is not random since, before release, “Hunger Games” would often be referenced as “the new Twilight,” in the sense it was planned as a future franchise as successful as the vampire saga.

Chances are it will be even bigger. The fact that it appeals to a wider audience will most definitely help it surpass “Twilight.”

“The movie had an incredible hold on Saturday – it only fell 25 percent to $51 million [€38.4 million], which ranks second all-time behind Spider-Man 3 ($51.3 million / €38.69 million),” the same movie-oriented e-zine says.

“This suggests that demand for The Hunger Games exists across a wide array of moviegoers, and isn't just rooted in the type of rabid fans that drove the front-loaded openings for recent Harry Potter and Twilight movies,” BOM explains.

Also making a good buck at the US box office this week are “21 Jump Street,” “Dr. Seuss' The Lorax 3D,” “John Carter 3D,” “Act of Valor,” “Project X,” “A Thousand Words,” “October Baby,” “Safe House” and “Journey 2.”