Entertainment

‘Hunger Games’ Scores $155 Million Opening Weekend

Hunger Games Scores $155 Million Opening Weekend

(Photo: Scholastic)

(The Blaze/AP) — “The Hunger Games” has filled fan appetites with a $155 million opening weekend that puts it near the top of the domestic record book.

The huge haul marks the third-best debut ever in terms of revenue, behind the $169.2 million opening for last year’s “Harry Potter” finale and the $158.4 million opening of 2008′s “The Dark Knight.”

“Harry Potter” and “Batman” were well-established franchises. “The Hunger Games” set a revenue record for a non-sequel.

It also was by far the biggest start for a film opening outside the busy summer and holiday seasons. According to Sunday studio estimates, “The Hunger Games” came in nearly $40 million ahead of the previous March record-holder, 2010′s “Alice in Wonderland” at $116.1 million.

“The Hunger Games” slid into the No. 3 spot on the domestic revenue chart ahead of “Spider-Man 3,” which opened with $151.1 million in 2007. Factoring in today’s higher tickets prices, “The Hunger Games” sold fewer tickets over opening weekend than “Spider-Man 3,” though.

With a broader fan base than the “Twilight” franchise, “The Hunger Games” pulled in bigger crowds than the top-grossing installment of that series. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” leads that franchise with a $142.8 million opening weekend in 2009.

Women and girls have made up as much as 80 percent of the audience for the “Twilight” flicks. Though it features a female lead, “The Hunger Games” drew more balanced crowds, with girls and women accounting for 61 percent of audiences, according to distributor Lionsgate.

Despite its teen fan base, “The Hunger Games” also did well among older moviegoers. Fans 25 and older made up 56 percent of the crowds.

“The Hunger Games” stars Jennifer Lawrence as a teen who is one of 24 youths forced to compete in a televised death match in a post-apocalyptic North American society.

The film is based on the first novel in the best-selling trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Lionsgate plans to release part two, “Catching Fire,” in November 2013.

Behind the scenes with “The Hunger Games”:

Comments (37)

  • JoeE71
    Posted on March 26, 2012 at 3:13pm

    Read the books and watched the movie. Both were awesome!

    Report Post »  
  • bree001
    Posted on March 26, 2012 at 9:44am

    I don‘t care if it’s conservative, Hollywood tends to make things more liberal. Tom Clancy is conservative but, they made “The Sum of All Fears” a little less conservative by changing the bad guys from Islamofacists to neo-nazis. The old Manchurian Candidate the bad guys were communists the new one a corporation. $155 million to support communism, no thanks. Support movies like Monumental and October Baby. http://www.brendasblog7.com/home-page

    Report Post »  
  • 1WhoQuestions
    Posted on March 26, 2012 at 8:48am

    I absolutely enjoyed the movie. What I liked: They added some information from Catching Fire into the movie. My wife and I loved how they added in what the gamekeepers and Heymitch did. Most of the actors were spot on in their roles, especially Woody Harrelson as Heymitch, Stanley Tucci as Ceasar, and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna. They could have cast another actress for Primrose but most were good.

    I didn’t like the ending. Per the book, Peeta was far worse off than what he was portrayed as in the movies. Also, they did not expound on the damage to Katniss‘ ear and her and Peeta’s subsequent recoveries nearly as well as they should have for that also adds to the drama which will be in Catching Fire and plays into Katniss’ ralationship with Gale. .

    If the battles were shown as they could have been, this easily was a R-rated movie but I understand why it was toned down. All in all, they could have made the movie better with minor changes but, overall, the movie was well worth seeing.Allowing for artistic licensing the movie stayed true to the book and that makes for a great movie.

    Report Post »  
    • Lex et Libertas
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 9:56am

      Saw the movie… Haven’t read the books. What a colossal waste of time. Poor character and plot development based on a ridiculous premise. No desire to read the books or see any sequel of this garbage. What a joke!

      Report Post »  
    • scarebear83
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 9:46pm

      Lex, That’s why I have stated numerous times to people, “Do Not go see the movie unless you’ve read the book.” I would say the movie is a companion to the book instead of a stand alone movie like Harry Potter or the Twilight films are. Trust me, read the book then go back and watch the movie. You’ll enjoy it… well at least I hope you will. Sometimes people‘s tastes are different and that’s ok. But you need to understand they were trying to put every major detail in the movie that they could within 2 hours so several plot developments were shortened. Like the train ride to the Capitol, I mean there’s a lot that they left out but they tried to hit the major points. Just give the book a try, you might actually like it ;)

      Report Post » scarebear83  
  • iac
    Posted on March 26, 2012 at 8:21am

    Has anyone noticed the scew up in the photo of the girl shooting the arrow in the forest?

    The arrow is BEHIND her bow hand, NOT on the bow,,LOL!

    Report Post »  
  • chershaw8
    Posted on March 26, 2012 at 7:28am

    When you begin to see these signs look up for your your redeption is near!—–

    Report Post »  
  • TalmudThumper
    Posted on March 26, 2012 at 1:29am

    This movie is so great, about kids killing other kids.

    Every child should watch this movie! I’m glad our fellow Hollywood producers made it, and our media is promoting it so heavily.

    Report Post » TalmudThumper  
  • WashingtonConstitutionalist
    Posted on March 26, 2012 at 1:13am

    There’s a political lesson to be learned from everything. Saw this analysis comparing the progressive utopia to the government of Panem. Pretty good stuff.
    http://hillbuzz.org/the-hunger-games-a-glimpse-into-the-progressive-lefts-endgame-60346

    Report Post »  
  • Matrix22
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 11:52pm

    What kills me is to hear the left claim that this supports their side (i.e. the “Capital” is like the 1% and the 12 other cities are the 99%), but it is clearly a story about abusive gov’t control. I just started reading the book again, and within the first pages there’s a quote about controlling weapons, “But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam (Where the common people live) would never have been allowed.” The other thing is that although the Occupy people claim that the dangerous/villainous 1% are the bankers and wall street type, they quickly ignore the fact that in the book, it’s the government officials who make up the elite 1%. I’ve heard rumors (I have no evidence either way) that she even claims it’s more liberal than conservative, but if that’s true, she really needs to edit, because the arguments she makes don’t add up then… The first time I read it I was actually really impressed that it was so conservative (alas, I admit I read it with that mindset so I’m biased.) However, I was also quick to think, “oh this could never really happen” but then I think about the atrocities that have happened in human history (Gladiators, Nazi/Russian prison Camps, the Crusades, etc), and I have to admit, if humanity was faced with a decision between WWIII and this, how many would choose this?

    Report Post »  
  • Katydidnt
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:24pm

    I loved the Hunger Games. It was ultimately a movie about humanity, about the people who keep their humanity and those who lose it or have lost it. The ones who had lost it were not on the field of play, but those who were running the games. Others lost it through upbringing being trained from birth, others just lost it through fear. Those who kept their humanity shone so brightly.

    Report Post »  
  • perry1980
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:02pm

    teenagers ki!!!ing teenagers. No thanks

    Report Post »  
  • CptStubbing
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:43pm

    “The film is based on the first novel in the best-selling trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Lionsgate plans to release part two, ‘Catching Fire,’ in November 2013″

    “Catching Fire” is the third one. “Mockingjay” is the Second one. I hope they aren’t releasing “Catching Fire” Second. The audience would be really confused.

    Report Post »  
    • Abigail Adams
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:47pm

      No, Catching Fire is the second one. I’m rereading it right now.

      Report Post » Abigail Adams  
  • kam123
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:42pm

    The closest society today to Panem is Communist China. A Totalitarian government where a few live in luxury in the cities while the poor living in the outskirts are oppressed and have no freedom.
    Two things come to mind:
    Anita Dunn’s fascination with Mao – one of her favorite philosophers.
    And the medias suppression of the horrors that exist in China while covering the last Olympics

    Report Post »  
  • tedwasright
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 8:23pm

    Great movie. If we only take heed,before its to late to save things.

    Report Post »  
  • TH30PH1LUS
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 7:54pm

    The film is an interesting parable of the bloodshed and death that come with Communist political structures. IMO it is not a film for children (since the main theme is kids killing kids for sport), but you could tell the film makers avoided looking too closely at the gore and shock of real killing (by using shaky camera techniques to avoid directly showing the kills). I suppose they did this to try to keep the appeal to the “family” audience.

    I hadn’t read the books, so there were major gaps in the storyline “history” that left many questions unanswered. I suppose they will come in later sequels.

    Interesting to consider that Hunger Games portrays a future that groups like Occupy, SEIU, and other Communists here in America are laying the groundwork for.

    Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
    • CW3147
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 10:54am

      Read the Book. In my opinion, people that saw the movie on the attraction of kids killing kids are as bad as the people in the Capital. One of the things that the OWS may like is the violence against the peace keepers District 11, they may compare it to violence against cops. Revolutions can go one of two ways. The American revolution was successful in breaking away and creating a functioning society. But like most Revolutions, the French Revolution led to Mass bloodshed and Napoleon. If you read on, the end of the series teaches: The enemy of my enemy is not my friend.

      Report Post » CW3147  
    • TH30PH1LUS
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 2:36pm

      @ CW3147 you wrote: “…people that saw the movie on the attraction of kids killing kids are as bad as the people in the Capital.”

      Reason I went was because I treated a family member who is a fan of the books. I probably won’t read them, just because I’m not a big fiction reader. Not since I was a little kid. Now I stick with the real-world stuff – it’s crazy enough for me.

      I will probably see the sequel. For these reasons:

      1. I want to know how the ragtag common people get a military victory over the technologically advanced “Capital” (in the film they have hovercraft, can create and teleport plant and animal life, heal wounds overnight with advanced medicine, etc.)

      2. I’m curious to see how the deception of the main characters play out. (For this reason I wish they had made it a televised mini-series rather than making audiences wait another year. I suppose the studio is following the money-making model of Lord of the Rings and Twilight)

      Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
  • bullcrapbuster
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 6:47pm

    I just finished all three books of the hunger games trilogy. Can’t wait to see the movie. To me it’s a story about courage,duty,honor,love and sacrifice tempered with a bit of killing. A reminder that keeping the power of government limited (like the tea party wants to) is the way to avoid the horrors of an all powerful elitist dictatorship.

    Report Post » bullcrapbuster  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 6:34pm

    I went to see it yesterday. It is all about the Elite Class control and what is happening right now in our Nation in many ways. Of course the sheeple were to stupid to see that the country was divided into 13 territories and only 12 participated in the killing games. Kinda like Congress not having to live by the same laws they pass…Congree living with their Healthcare plan while loading us with DEATHCARE.

    Wake up Sheepies, they want you in race wars so Obama can clamp down with full government top to bottom control. I did not believe it could happen until about a year ago. Now i see it. When he signed the new and improved EO…the final nail was placed in our coffin.

    The only thing that will save us is how the Military will break when the revolution for freedom begins…towards the Constitution and Freedom or towards full Marxist control….I think it’s about 50/50….That means Civil War..

    Yea…it’s coming and people are too stupid to even see it..

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • Lumbar Spine
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 8:53pm

      OMG…we’re all doomed! Buy gold…! And survival seeds. Wait…isn’t the Caliphate supposed to take over first?

      Report Post »  
    • RightPolitically
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:33pm

      People are too busy going to the movies to see it!

      Report Post » RightPolitically  
    • Onowicit
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:32pm

      @Lumbar Spine
      living well are you? well enough to be a pretentious troll. Its funny how afraid people like you really are. You try to make yourself feel better by mocking people who only believe in being prepared. The truth is we know that your kind are the most scared of all. We say leave us to ourselves we are sufficient. you and your kind huddle into sheep herds and say to the master protect us. Your kind always sale out and become the tools of the state. Coward Judas Benedict rubber spine

      Report Post » Onowicit  
    • Lumbar Spine
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 12:21am

      Being prepared for what…? Marxist takeover? Civil war? Drama queens, much…? I’m getting prepared for the return of dinosaurs who will roam America devouring everyone in sight…

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 7:44am

      @lumbar spine…You will be one of the unprepared looting in the streets. Hope a bullet finds a sweet spot in your head..

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • troymac20
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 10:22am

      The 13th district was destroyed.

      Report Post » troymac20  
  • Rayblue
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 5:51pm

    Stephen King oughta sue.

    Report Post » Rayblue  
  • hauschild
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 5:46pm

    Pretty obvious times aren‘t as tough as we’d like to believe.

    155 million on absolute garbage. I haven’t seen it; haven’t read what the story is about; couldn’t care less. All I know is that it was created in this day and age where creativity is a pipe dream, so it obviously can’t be much good. I can the number of decent flicks since the early 1990′s on one hand.

    Report Post »  
    • sing it out
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 8:01pm

      Wow. Really? You admit to not having seen the movie or read the books, so how can you claim with such absolute authority that it is “garbage?” It is actually a very well done movie and nicely written book series, one which has themes of honor, self-sacrifice, and resistance against oppression. Also, there is no obscene sex, no pervasive language, and the violence, though intense, is handled tactfully.

      I agree that most movies today have suffered in the creativity department; a lot of movies now are absolute crap. But I couldn’t let the ignorant blanket statement you made go in regards to a movie that finally breaks the status quo and is actually good.

      And sometimes, even in hard economic times like these, people just need to cut loose and forget about their troubles for a couple of hours.

      Report Post » sing it out  
    • proliance
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 10:03pm

      Nice of you to review a movie you’ve never seen.

      Report Post » proliance  
  • MOLLYPITCHER
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 5:01pm

    What amazes me is that this is a movie about government takeover, while we are experiencing a government take over. I haven’t heard anyone make that connection yet, but I’ve been kind of avoiding news and politics lately. Perhaps someone has said that. I don’t know about anyone else, but lately I can only take so much of the news, no matter what the source.

    Report Post »  
    • Better Dead Than Red
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 5:32pm

      I just started the book, it reminds me of ‘1984’ in so many ways.

      Report Post » Better Dead Than Red  
    • MadenNZ
      Posted on March 25, 2012 at 5:45pm

      Come to think of it, you are right! Out of curiosity I watched it yesterday, 24 children/youth, were selected from the various (poverty stricken) districts to compete to the death in a reality show. There was flagrant differences between those that lived in the cities/provincial, contrasted priorities, wealth/poverty, big government etc…. It had reminded me of Goldings, ‘lord of the flies.’ The terrible thing is knowing that these young one had no choice but to perform their duty for the Government, offering the ultimate sacrifice – their lives for their(Government) pleasure and entertainment. I blasted bawled like a baby when some of these characters lost their lives…I don’t recommend the movie to soft hearted, emotional sorts like myself. Too late in my case, but indeed an morbid parallel to big government.

      Report Post » MadenNZ  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on March 26, 2012 at 3:55am

      Madenns, though it was about entertaining the elites, the primary goal was to keep the districts divided, in rivalry, to punish them for rebellion against central power, by “reaping” their “tributes”, by forcing them to kill each other, beside keeping the districts poor, just bordering on bare sustainability. Though down, the people still remembered after three generations, and Katniss nearly provided a spark in one district for a new rebellion.

      The flick reminds me so much of my old country behind Iron Curtain, and unfortunately, I see a parallel with our times–we are nearing that kind of dystopia. Not there yet, but it is in the realm of possibilities.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • lukerw
    Posted on March 25, 2012 at 5:01pm

    ObamaLand/ObamaVille!

    Report Post » lukerw  

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