Lionsgate's hotly anticipated sequel "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" trounced the competition over its first weekend at the box office, pulling in an estimated $161.1 million. That gross handily beats the $152.5 million opening of "The Hunger Games," which opened in March 2012, and it stands as the best November debut of all time ahead of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which bowed with $142.9 million in 2009.
Only three films have ever opened higher than "Catching Fire": "The Avengers" ($207.4 million), "Iron Man 3" ($174.1 million), and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" ($169.2 million).
'Hunger Games: Catching Fire': Test your smarts!
Many prognosticators (this one included) thought "Catching Fire" might surpass "Iron Man 3's" opening earlier this year, but the superhero sequel had the notable advantage of 3-D ticket sales, and "Catching Fire" fell short. Still, if estimates hold up when final grosses are released tomorrow, "Catching Fire" will have bested "The Dark Knight Rises" as the highest 2-D opener of all time. ("Rises" pulled in $160.9 million during its opening weekend in 2012.)
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