Hunger Games Catching Fire at Box Office
Lionsgate’s (NYSE: LGF) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire became the highest-grossing film released at the domestic box office in 2013 with an estimated domestic cume to date of $409.4 million in its first 49 days of release, the company announced Friday.
Catching Fire, which set records for the biggest November opening weekend of all time ($158.1 million) as well as the biggest three- and five-day Thanksgiving box office totals ever, has already become the 13th highest-grossing North American release in history and remains in wide release.
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It passed the first Hunger Games film, which grossed $408 million at the domestic box office, on Tuesday and is the fifth fastest film ever to reach the $400 million mark at the domestic box office.
The success of Catching Fire marks the first time the first two installments of a franchise have each topped $400 million at the domestic box office, and both films now rank among the top 15 domestic film releases in history.
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Catching Fire has also grossed $428.8 million internationally for a worldwide box office total of $838.2 million in its first seven weeks of release compared to $691 million worldwide box office generated during the entire run of the first Hunger Games film.
The company noted that Catching Fire is the first 2D film to become the top-grossing film of the year since 2008.
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“The Hunger Games franchise continues to evolve into a truly global phenomenon,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.
The next two installments of The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, are currently in production for release on Nov. 21, 2014 and Nov. 20, 2015, respectively.
Photo courtesy: Lionsgate / The Hunger Games
