'Catching Fire' Predictably Dominates Box Office

Now that I have successfully googled "words associated with fire," I feel I can appropriately write about Catching Fire 's performance at the box office this weekend. Because, in a surprise twist that absolutely no one (by which I mean everyone) saw coming, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is making major record-breaking bank. Oh, excuse me: Catching Fire is burning down the competition — blazing through the box office, if you will.

So how big is Catching Fire's opening weekend, exactly? Well, the film's already grossed $161.1 million throughout 63 territories and has a global gross of $307.7. In other words, it's already surpassed the $142.8 million that landed The Twilight Saga: New Moon with the record of the biggest November opening of all time.

This giant pile of cash currently places Catching Fire in the number four spot on Box Office Mojo's All-Time Biggest Opening Weekends list, behind (in order) The Avengers, Iron Man 3, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. That giant pile of money also landed them just above The Dark Knight Rises.

This movie was, of course, expected to do well, but that's not to say that it isn't cool (also heavingly ironic*) that a film so thoroughly brimming with relevant social messages attracted so many eyes/butts in seats. Which is not to say that we think this movie will cause Americans to rush the streets in protest of the one percent/the Capitol/etc. (that's so two years ago), though that would be cool. But at least they're watching?

*Because capitalism.

Image: Lionsgate