Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hunger Games Wins Monster $155M Weekend

Unseats 'Spider-Man,' 'Twilight' series

By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 25, 2012 11:25 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Hunger Games is the smashing victor of the weekend's box office, vaulting past Spider-Man 3 and the Twilight saga to grab the No. 3 biggest opening weekend of all time with $155 million. It's the biggest opening ever for a non-sequel, notes the Hollywood Reporter, and lags behind only The Dark Knight's $158.3 million, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2's $169.2 million.

Hunger Games scored particularly well with the under-18 crowd, and perhaps surprisingly, with males (as opposed to Twilight's dominance among girls). "The numbers just kept growing and growing. And based on the trajectory of the weekend, we are going to have an unbelievable hold. We are going to play and play," crows a Lionsgate rep.
Opening night of 'The Hunger Games' at the Regal Cinemas LA LIVE Stadium on March 22, 2012 in Los Angeles.
Opening night of 'The Hunger Games' at the Regal Cinemas LA LIVE Stadium on March 22, 2012 in Los Angeles.   (Getty Images)
Fans line up to see the midnight shows of The Hunger Games, at the 34th Street Loews AMC Theatre, Thursday, March 22, 2012, in New York.
Fans line up to see the midnight shows of "The Hunger Games," at the 34th Street Loews AMC Theatre, Thursday, March 22, 2012, in New York.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from The Hunger Games.
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from "The Hunger Games."   (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen, left, and Liam Hemsworth portrays Gale Hawthorne in a scene from The Hunger Games.
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen, left, and Liam Hemsworth portrays Gale Hawthorne in a scene from "The Hunger Games."   (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from The Hunger Games.
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from "The Hunger Games."   (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from The Hunger Games.
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from "The Hunger Games."   (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)
Lenny Kravitz portrays Cinna, Woody Harrelson portrays Haymitch Abernathy and Josh Hutcherson portrays Peeta Mellark in a scene from The Hunger Games.
Lenny Kravitz portrays Cinna, Woody Harrelson portrays Haymitch Abernathy and Josh Hutcherson portrays Peeta Mellark in a scene from "The Hunger Games."   (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen, left, and Josh Hutcherson portrays Peeta Mellark in a scene from The Hunger Games.
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen, left, and Josh Hutcherson portrays Peeta Mellark in a scene from "The Hunger Games."   (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)
Elizabeth Banks portrays Effie Trinket, left, and Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from The Hunger Games.
Elizabeth Banks portrays Effie Trinket, left, and Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from "The Hunger Games."   (AP Photo/Lionsgate, Murray Close)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
0%
4%
1%
84%
4%
7%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
Fatquah
Mar 26, 2012 11:21 PM CDT
It would have been better if Jennifer Lawrence was in a bikini for the whole movie.
Bundy714
Mar 25, 2012 6:26 PM CDT
It is probably a good movie, all the reviews say as much.  But the reason it's setting records isn't because it's one of the all time great movies, it's because nothing worth seeing has come out in so long that people are flocking to the first good movie to come out in a while. I can't remember the last time something came out that made me want to go to the movies.  Oh yeah, it was the Lord of the Rings, I went to see that.  How long ago was that, a few years at least.  Everything else is some remake of something that was never good in the first place.  Avatar was big, but I think it was more because of 3D, than the movie itself.  True Grit was good, but again, it was a remake.  Not a lot of originality on display in hollywood now.  Lots of remakes of silly stuff from our childhood.
AustinFound
Mar 25, 2012 2:52 PM CDT
It's been a while, but I think that's not how you shoot a bow and arrow. The arrow goes in the center of the bow to get the most velocity.

 
entertainment • box office • The Dark Knight • movies • Liam Hemsworth • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 • Hunger Games • Jennifer Lawrence

 
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   World History Project   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne