'Hunger Games' Has Third-Best Opening Weekend Ever: Are You Surprised?

by SodaHead Film Posted 2012/03/26 13:00:00

Related Topics: Hunger Games, Opening Weekend, Sales, Record, box office, Dark Knight, Twilight, Harry Potter, Games, sequel, Marketing, President, Movie, Office, Hollywood, Movies, Game, Deathly Hallows

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	Yes	152 votes	24%
	No	484 votes	76%

We knew "The Hunger Games" was going to be big, but landing the third-best opening weekend of all time is beyond impressive. After pulling in $19.7 million on midnight showings alone, the film made a remarkable $155 million in domestic box office ticket sales. The only movies to beat that were "The Dark Knight" in 2008 with $158.4 million and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" in 2011 with $169.2 million. That means "Hunger Games" had the best domestic opening weekend for any non-sequel. Ever.

Tim Palen, president of marketing at Lionsgate, told The Hollywood Reporter, "It was the perfect storm. Having the first film in a franchise to be so gigantic is amazing. We had a great book and a great director in Gary Ross." However, the success was mostly limited to the States. Overseas, the film only made about $59.3 million, bringing the grand total up to $214.3 million. Still enough to beat the first "Twilight" film, and that's all that matters to some. Are you surprised by the mega-popularity and record-breaking box office numbers of "The Hunger Games"?

+22

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KATniss 2012/03/26 21:34:31

No

+10
always knew it :D it deserves it. <3
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More polls by SodaHead Film

Aspect of B 2012/03/26 20:57:28

Yes

+1

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Fred 2012/03/26 20:52:54

Yes

+1
people will watch anything these days

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ZlikaJay 2012/03/26 20:51:42

No

+2
I basically predicted it.

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Djanet 2012/03/26 20:14:18

Yes

+2
well no i meant to put no cause the books are amazingly good and i havent gone to see the movie bt i will and the trailer was great sooo i cant wait to see the movie but i always go for the books and i read the entire series and i m rea reading them cause there great ^_^

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vinone 2012/03/26 20:07:31

No

+1
I'm not really suprised. I didn't really like the book or the movie though.

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MoonSoung 2012/03/26 19:58:18

Yes

+2
The Hunger Games is a total ripoff of Battle Royale, and I'm not the only one that thinks that. hah!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

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Diana to MoonSoung 2012/03/26 20:45:24

+6
Suzanne Collins never heard of the book when she wrote the "Hunger Games" trilogy. Her books draw on the effects of war and are a critique on the media. Lots of books have similar plot lines, but a fight to the death is not a new concept in history or in literature.

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maddy 2012/03/26 19:22:56

No

+3
It's awsome

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Sperry23 2012/03/26 18:40:09 (edited)

No

+3
The amount of hype this film has had, plus the interest in the books by the tween and young teen community pretty much assured the amazing success. Same with Twilight, same with Harry Potter. Good tween/teen buzz means money.

I can only hope that this will lead at least some of the kids to read some of the classic dystopia novels like Fahrenheit 451, 1984, and Brave New World.

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Djanet to Sperry23 2012/03/26 20:18:27

+1
omg i read that book brave new world i read in all categorys of books even novels i love books ^_^

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Sprout 2012/03/26 18:28:43

No

+1
not surprised

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De-Dee 2012/03/26 18:21:59

Yes

+1
I am a bit surprised, being that I never heard of the series until the previews started showing.(Doesn't that sound familiar...Twilight ring a bell...) Then all of a sudden everyone's hungry for Hungry Games. I read most of the book but didn't quite finish it before I saw the movie. I actually like the movie more to be honest. Maybe I just need to read the others though.

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emmy to De-Dee 2012/03/26 21:35:43

+3
twilight is way different katniss is a hero and hunts bella is just a stupid girl in distress

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De-Dee to emmy 2012/03/27 19:57:44

I was not comparing the plots. I was comparing the fan base, all the merchandise, the teams, and how it was pretty much unheard of until the previews started showing. From what I've seen and read it's a pretty good series.

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emmy to De-Dee 2012/08/09 16:06:51

i do not agree on the fact that is was unheard of until previews started showing. A lot of people had read the books before seeing the movie. I do agree that its a great series and i am glad it was such a hit!

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Rochelle Brooks 2012/03/26 18:02:50

Yes

+1
Perhaps this is journalistic hype of charm

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Rea 2012/03/26 17:58:39

No

+1
I saw it yesterday, it was alright. But I felt it was definitely a 'junior high' age appropriate flick. But then again, that's who was reading it mostly I feel. Also, I'd imagine that horrible trailer for Breaking Dawn part 2 helped it get a bigger following. I'm not surprised, both movies had the same feel for me. Not that they're in any way alike story wise, I just felt that the film was shot and moved like the Twilight series, and was geared for the same sort of group.

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AdWhois 2012/03/26 17:57:24

No

+1
Saw "The Hunger Games" yesterday, it was a pretty good movie. Became a little too romantic for my liking but if Twilight can have a crushing opening weekend, makes perfect sense that this would. When movies come from books (Harry Potter, Twilight) I think it gets people out who don't normally go to the movies or at least who don't go opening weekend, which inflates the numbers. I wouldn't look for this movie to make it very far past 350 mil domestically though.

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Joanna ... to AdWhois 2012/03/27 00:30:52

+2
The only romance in the movie is a show put on by katniss to make the people of the Capitol like her, and it's only a few scenes. that was really too much?

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AdWhois to Joanna ... 2012/03/27 15:16:48

I understand that... I still liked the movie but there was still romance (the liam hemsworth stuff)... To each there own I guess.

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Beanybudd to AdWhois 2012/03/27 06:29:45

yeah that wasn't actual romance. They were, well at least Katniss, were acting on the "star crossed lovers" bit so they'd get sponsors to send them those parachutes of supplies. That's why Haymitch was saying "you call that a kiss!" cuz he wanted Katniss to make it believable.

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kyaterekera 2012/03/26 17:39:07

Yes

+1
nice

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deBrice 2012/03/26 17:28:38 (edited)

No

+1
I saw it this weekend, it's well realized movie even if the theme is a little too 1984 to me.

One thing though, you classify it as a non sequel but it will probably be a sequel actually, no?

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Beanybudd to deBrice 2012/03/27 06:31:12

It actual takes place in the future of North America, but now it's called Panem. Sequel? I'm confused. It's based off a trilogy so there will be a sequel if that's what you mean lol

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deBrice to Beanybudd 2012/03/27 15:17:25

Quote:
That means "Hunger Games" had the best domestic opening weekend for any non-sequel. Ever.

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Beanybudd to deBrice 2012/03/27 15:50:58

hahaha yeah I read that after seeing this. I think they mean a sequel as in like the 3rd, 4th Harry Potter movies possibly

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I Wish I Were A Skywalker..... 2012/03/26 17:19:54

No

+3
It's really brilliant. I read the book IN ONE DAY. Correction, IN THREE HOURS. I read it the day before I watched the movie so it was all fresh in my mind, and though I preferred the book, the movie really did it justice.

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sally 2012/03/26 17:16:31

No

+3
I was really surprised that I was actually satisfied with the film. It was pretty good considering there could only be a limit of 2 hours or less. The book was amazing and I'm really glad it was done some justice with the film.

Jennifer Lawrence was great :)

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offendingshadows 2012/03/26 17:05:08

No

+3
My word, that movie was so incredible. I was stunned by the awesomeness.

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Waiting in the Wings 2012/03/26 16:44:01

No

+1
The books are amazing! The movie, however sucks.

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Rachel Searvogel 2012/03/26 16:14:45

No

+2
It had better be more popular than the Twilight franchise. The books were okay, but the movies are nothing special. With the hunger games, I feel like it's a least a step above on both accounts, if not more.

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Arya 2012/03/26 15:12:56

No

+5
The books are awesome and the movie is great. So I'm not at all surprised.

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amy halbern 2012/03/26 13:38:36

No

+3
Not suprised at all. So AWESOME!

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